System and method for controlling speed of a moving vehicle

• US 7,711,468 B1
• Filed: 01/07/2008
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David Levy
• Original Assignee: David Levy
• Inventors: Levy, David
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US11/970,069
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 701/33, 701/36, 701/93, 701/96, 701/207, 701/213, 701/300, 342/357.06, 342/357.08, 475/169, 340/438, 340/441
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence

Abstract

A system, a method and device for controlling speed of a moving vehicle, using portable and repositionable global positioning devices, speed limit processors, and a database of legal vehicle speed limits is in communication with the speed limit processor. Computer instructions instruct the speed limit processor to match the current location of the moving vehicle with a legal vehicle speed limit for a defined location using the database. The speed limit processor communicates the legal vehicle speed limit to the vehicle processor to control the speed of the moving vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for controlling speed of a moving vehicle, comprising:

a portable relocatable global positioning device in communication with at least three global positioning satellites, wherein the global positioning device has a global positioning processor for computing a current location of a moving vehicle, and wherein the current location comprises a latitude, a longitude, and an elevation of the moving vehicle;

a portable relocatable speed limit processor in communication with the global positioning device and with a vehicle processor on the moving vehicle;

a database of legal vehicle speed limits in data storage in communication with the speed limit processor, wherein each legal vehicle speed limit in the database is associated with a defined longitude, a defined latitude, and a defined elevation;

computer instructions in communication with the speed limit processor for instructing the speed limit processor to match the current location of the moving vehicle with a legal vehicle speed limit for a defined location using the database of legal vehicle speed limits;

computer instructions in communication with the speed limit processor for instructing the speed limit processor to instruct the vehicle processor to modify a real time speed of the moving vehicle to match the legal vehicle speed limit for the defined location;

a power supply for providing power to the global positioning device and the speed limit processor; and

wherein the speed limit processor communicates a legal vehicle speed limit for the defined location from the database to the vehicle processor, and wherein computer instructions in communication with the vehicle processor instruct the vehicle processor to compare the real time speed of the moving vehicle to the legal vehicle speed limit for the defined location and control power to the moving vehicle to maintain the moving vehicle at or below the legal vehicle speed limit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the speed limit processor further comprises computer instructions for presenting a map to a driver of the moving vehicle for depicting the current location and the legal vehicle speed limit.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the moving vehicle is a car, a truck, a boat, a motorcycle, or another moving vehicle required to comply with speed limit laws.

4. The system of claim 2, further comprising computer instructions for instructing the speed limit processor to display multiple legal vehicle speed limits on the map.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the speed limit processor comprises computer instructions for instructing the vehicle processor to automatically accelerate the moving vehicle or slow the moving vehicle to maintain the moving vehicle at or below the legal vehicle speed limit.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the speed limit processor, the vehicle processor, and the global positioning processor are in wired communication, wireless communication, or combinations thereof, with each other.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a housing containing the global positioning device, the data storage, and the speed limit processor, wherein the housing is adapted to provide power from the moving vehicle to the vehicle processor, the speed limit processor, the global positioning device, or combinations thereof.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising using wireless communication between the processors to control power to the moving vehicle.

8. A method for controlling speed of a moving vehicle, comprising:

connecting a removable repositionable global positioning device to the moving vehicle and a plurality of global positioning satellites;

identifying a current location of the moving vehicle using the global positioning device;

communicating the current location of the moving vehicle to a removable repositionable speed limit processor in communication with a database in data storage, wherein the database comprises a plurality of legal vehicle speed limits by location coordinates;

determining the legal vehicle speed limit of the moving vehicle for the current location and a plurality of anticipated locations near the current location of the moving vehicle;

communicating the determined legal vehicle speed limit to a vehicle processor of the moving vehicle in real time for the current location and the plurality of anticipated locations; and

using computer instructions to instruct the vehicle processor to change the moving vehicle rate of speed to match or be below the determined legal vehicle speed limit.

10. A device for controlling speed of a moving vehicle, comprising:

a removable repositionable global positioning device (GPS) for communicating with global positioning satellites to identify in real time constantly changing locations of a moving vehicle;

a removable, re-installable speed limit processor for communicating with a database comprising a plurality of legal speed limits for multiple locations and communicating with a vehicle processor, wherein the speed limit processor comprises computer instructions (i) to obtain a location for the moving vehicle from the GPS, (ii) to determine a legal vehicle speed limit for the location of the moving vehicle and for a plurality of surrounding locations from a database with a plurality of legal speed limits; and

(iii) instruct the vehicle processor to slow down a moving vehicle to match or be less than the legal vehicle speed limit; and

a power supply for operating the global positioning device and speed limit processor.

11. The device of claim 10, further comprising an alarm and notification system connected to the speed limit processor and the moving vehicle for advising a driver of the moving vehicle in real time when the moving vehicle exceeds or is below a defined legal vehicle speed limit for a current location of the moving vehicle.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the speed limit processor further comprises computer instructions for presenting a map to a driver of the moving vehicle for depicting the current location and the legal vehicle speed limit of the moving vehicle and legal vehicle speed limits within 3 miles of the location.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the moving vehicle is a car, a truck, a boat, a motorcycle, or another moving vehicle required to comply with speed limit laws.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the speed limit processor further comprises computer instructions for displaying multiple legal vehicle speed limits on a map on a display for viewing by a driver.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein the speed limit processor and the global positioning device are in wired communication, wireless communication, or combinations thereof.

16. The device of claim 10, further comprising a housing containing the global positioning device, the data storage, and the speed limit processor, wherein the housing is adapted to acquire power from the moving vehicle and provide power to the speed limit processor and the global positioning device.

17. The device of claim 11, wherein the alarm and notification system comprises an audio alarm, a visual alarm, or combinations thereof.