AU2016101387A4 - Vehicle location method - Google Patents
Vehicle location method Download PDFInfo
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- AU2016101387A4 AU2016101387A4 AU2016101387A AU2016101387A AU2016101387A4 AU 2016101387 A4 AU2016101387 A4 AU 2016101387A4 AU 2016101387 A AU2016101387 A AU 2016101387A AU 2016101387 A AU2016101387 A AU 2016101387A AU 2016101387 A4 AU2016101387 A4 AU 2016101387A4
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- vehicle
- location
- transmitting device
- receiving device
- signals
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Abstract
There is disclosed a method of determining the location of a first vehicle (12) by an operator of a second vehicle (32), using a transmitting device (10) on the first vehicle. Wireless signals (38) are transmitted from the transmitting device and signals (36) are received by a receiving device (30) on the second vehicle. The location of the first vehicle is determined from the received signals. C"M 0 co0 (.0 C~j C2 ~~~(D
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a method and system for alerting an operator of one vehicle, such as a motor car, to the proximity of another vehicle such as a bicycle.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
An ongoing problem suffered by operators of small road vehicles, especially non-motorised vehicles such as bicycles, or motorised vehicles such as motorcycles, is that these vehicles are often not easily visible to drivers of other typically larger vehicles such as motor cars, trucks, buses and the like. Similar problems exist for non-road vehicles such as watercraft, e.g. boats.
This can give rise to risks of accidents involving collisions between the vehicles.
It is an object of the present invention overcome or ameliorate existing problems relating to risks of such accidents, or to provide a means of increasing vehicle safety.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method of determining, for an operator of a second vehicle, the location of a first vehicle using a transmitting device adapted for being supported in relation to the first vehicle at a first vehicle location and adapted for travelling with the first vehicle as the first vehicle travels, the method including: transmitting wireless signals from the transmitting device for enabling the first vehicle location to be determined at a location remote from the first vehicle location, thereby enabling a receiving device adapted for being supported in relation to the second vehicle at a second vehicle location, and adapted for travelling with the second vehicle as the second vehicle travels, to receive wireless signals, the received signals having been transmitted from a location remote from the second vehicle location and having been at least partly enabled by the wireless signals transmitted from the transmitting device, and for determining the first vehicle location from the received signals.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the step of transmitting wireless signals is further for enabling an alert to be actuated by the receiving device when at least one predetermined criterion based on said first vehicle location is met.
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a method of determining, for an operator of a second vehicle, the location of a first vehicle using a receiving device adapted for being supported in relation to the second vehicle at a second vehicle location, and adapted for travelling with the second vehicle as the second vehicle travels, the method including: receiving wireless signals, said received signals having been transmitted from a location remote from the second vehicle location and having been at least partly enabled by wireless signals transmitted from a transmitting device adapted for being supported in relation to the first vehicle at a first vehicle location and for travelling with the first vehicle as the first vehicle travels; and determining the first vehicle location from the received signals.
According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a method of determining, for an operator of a second vehicle, the location of a first vehicle, the method including: causing wireless signals to be transmitted from a transmitting device adapted for being supported in relation to a first vehicle at a first vehicle location, and adapted for travelling with the first vehicle as the first vehicle travels, the transmitted signals being adapted to enable the first vehicle location to be determined at a location remote from the first vehicle location; causing a receiving device adapted for being supported in relation to a second vehicle at a second vehicle location, and adapted for travelling with the second vehicle as the second vehicle travels, to receive wireless signals, the received signals having been transmitted from a location remote from the second vehicle location and having been at least partly enabled by the wireless signals transmitted from the transmitting device; and determining the first vehicle location from the received signals.
In a preferred embodiment of any one of the first and second aspects of the invention, the method includes: determining whether at least one predetermined criterion based on said first vehicle location is met; and actuating an alert at the receiving device when the at least one predetermined criterion is met.
In a preferred embodiment of the first, second and third aspects of the invention, at least part of the transmitted signals are the received signals.
In another embodiment said determining of the first vehicle location is effected at the first vehicle location.
In another embodiment said determining of the first vehicle location is effected at the second vehicle location.
In another embodiment said determining of the first vehicle location is effected at a location remote from the first vehicle location and remote from the second vehicle location.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the transmitting device includes a mobile smart phone.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the receiving device includes a GPS navigation system device of the second vehicle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing providing a diagrammatic illustration of the use of a method according to an embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
According to a preferred embodiment, a method according to the invention is adapted to be performed using a transmitting device 10 in the form of a mobile phone, held by an operator of the device. This is while the operator is on a first vehicle 12, such as a bicycle, motor cycle or the like. However, the invention is not limited to use in relation to such vehicles and can be used on other motorised or non-motorised vehicles instead. For example, the invention can be used in relation to vehicles in the form of watercraft, such as boats.
For the purpose of the present example, the first vehicle 12 is a bicycle as shown in the figure.
The transmitting device 10 has a suitable software application or app (not shown) loaded onto it. A suitable mounting (not shown) may be provided for mounting the transmitting device 10 on the first vehicle 12, although it may simply be carried by the operator (rider) of the first vehicle in the conventional manner, for example in the operator’s pocket, on a belt-clip secured to a belt of the operator, in a bag carried by the operator, and so on.
According to the preferred embodiment, the transmitting device 10 has an interface 14 in the form of a touch screen display, which allows the operator to activate the app, for example by pressing a power button (not shown) on the display or elsewhere on the device.
The app is adapted to determine the location of the transmitting device 10 and hence of the operator riding the bicycle 12, and of the bicycle itself.
In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the transmitting device 10 can determine its location using known GPS location functionality, by receiving signals from GPS satellites 16 as indicated at 18, and using the process of triangulation to determine the location.
According to another embodiment, the app is configured to determine the location of the transmitting device 10 by using and communicating back and forth with known mobile phone technology, for example using the network and infrastructure 20 of a mobile phone service provider, as shown at 22, using information pertaining to mobile phone cells, signal strengths and so on.
According to yet another embodiment, the transmitting device 10 is adapted to send signals 24 representing “raw” location-determining information to a remote server at a remote location 26, where suitable processors or other devices or software (not shown) can calculate the location using that raw information. Depending on the embodiment of the invention, further signals can then be sent from the remote location 26 to the transmitting device 10 to inform the transmitting device of he calculated location.
According to one embodiment, the app is adapted to operate in conjunction with a proprietary internet based map system such as Google Maps (TM) to determine the location of the transmitting device 10 in relation to a map representing the area in which the device is located.
From the above description, it will be understood that, depending on the particular embodiment, the location of the transmitting device 10 is determined by the app (e.g. in the case involving the use of GPS technology and satellites 16, mobile phone technology and infrastructure 20, and processing means at the remote location 26) or at a location remote from the transmitting device (e.g. in the case involving the use of mobile phone technology and infrastructure 20 or processing means at the remote location 26).
As described further below, where the app itself determines the location of the first vehicle 10, the app causes the transmitting device 10 to transmit signals representing that location. Where the location is determined remotely from the transmitting device 10, e.g. at the mobile phone network based on signals received by its infrastructure 20 as described above, or at the remote location 26, signals representing the location of the transmitting device can be sent from those locations.
Once the app has determined the location of the transmitting device 10, the app is adapted to cause the transmitting device to transmit signals 16, 22 representing information pertaining to the location of the transmitting device.
According to a preferred embodiment, the transmitting device 10 is adapted to record or determine various parameters of the journey of the operator of the transmitting device on the first vehicle 12, such as starting point of the journey, distance travelled since the start of the journey, average speed and time travelled of the journey, and the direction of travel at any one time.
The transmitting device 10 and app are adapted to be used in conjunction with one or more receiving device 30 in one or more corresponding second vehicle 32, such a motor vehicle. For the purpose of the present examples, the second vehicle shown in the drawing is a motor car.
In the following description, although reference is made at times to a single transmitting device 10 and to a single receiving device 30, it is to be understood that the invention contemplates the use of one or multiple transmitting devices used in conjunction with one or multiple receiving devices.
According to a preferred embodiment, the receiving device 30 is in the form of a GPS navigation system of the second vehicle 32 for use by the operator (driver) of that vehicle, in which the GPS navigation system has been developed or programmed with functionality suitable to be used in conjunction with the transmitting device 10 and app.
According to another embodiment, the receiving device 30 is in the form of a dedicated device in the second vehicle 32, suitable to be used in conjunction with the transmitting device 10 and app, rather than forming part of the GPS navigation system of the second vehicle.
The receiving device 30 includes a display 34 and is adapted to display the location of one or more first vehicle 12 relative to the receiving device and hence relative to the second vehicle.
If the receiving device 30 forms part of the GPS navigation system of the second vehicle 32, then the display 34 of the receiving device can be the display of the GPS navigation system. In this case, the location of each transmitting device 10 (and hence each first vehicle 12) can be displayed on the map presented on the screen of the GPS system provided that the location of the or each first vehicle is within the bounds of that map. It will also be appreciated that the receiving device 30 can only detect the location of a transmitting device 10 if that transmitting device and its app are active.
If the receiving device 30 does not form part of the GPS navigation system of the second vehicle 32, then similar functionality may be provided as if it were a GPS navigation system. In this case, for example, the map may be generated or provided by a proprietary map provider such as Google Earth (TM).
The receiving device 30 is adapted to actuate an alert in the event that a predetermined criterion is met. In particular, according to a preferred embodiment, the criterion is adapted to at least partly address potential collision risks between the first vehicle 12 and second vehicle 32.
The receiving device 30 is adapted to receive second signals 36 generated from a remote location, these received signals being indicative of the location of a first vehicle 12.
There may be different sources of the second signals 36 depending on the embodiment in question. For example, if the location of that first vehicle 12 was determined at a location remote from that vehicle, such as the mobile phone service provider’s infrastructure 20 or at the remote location 26, those second signals 36 may be transmitted to the receiving device 30 from those remote locations.
Similarly, if the location of the first vehicle 12 was determined by the app of the transmitting device 10 corresponding to that vehicle, and if that device transmitted that information to the remote locations such as the service provider’s infrastructure 20 or the remote location 26, then again, the second signals 36 may be transmitted from those remote locations.
Alternatively, if the location of the first vehicle 12 was determined by the app of the transmitting device 10 corresponding to that vehicle, the second signals 36 may be transmitted direct from that transmitting device to the receiving device 30 as indicated at 38.
According to a preferred embodiment, the receiving device 30 is adapted to determine the speed at which the second vehicle 32 is travelling.
If the receiving device 30 forms part of the GPS navigation system of the second vehicle 32, and if the navigation system is adapted to determine the speed of the second vehicle, then this is the means by which the second vehicle’s speed is determined.
If the receiving device 30 is a dedicated device not forming part of the GPS navigation system of the second vehicle 32, then according to a preferred form of this embodiment, the receiving device itself is adapted to determine the second vehicle’s speed. According to a preferred embodiment, the receiving device 30 is adapted to achieve this using GPS technology in a similar fashion to that in which a conventional vehicle GPS navigation system determines a vehicle’s speed.
Once the speed of the second vehicle 32 has been determined by the receiving device 30, that speed can be taken into account by the receiving device to determine whether the criteria for actuating the alert have been met.
For example, the receiving device 30 can be adapted or programmed to determine that, if the second vehicle 32 is travelling at 60 km/h per hour, it is likely to require a stopping distance of 45 metres. In this case, the receiving device 30 may issue the alert if the location of a transmitting device 10 (and hence of a corresponding first vehicle 12) is 45 metres or less from the receiving device (and hence from the second vehicle).
On a similar basis, the receiving device 30 can be adapted or programmed to determine that if the second vehicle 32 is travelling at 70 km/h per hour it is likely to require a stopping distance of 55 metres, and therefore to issue the alert if the location of a transmitting device 10 (and hence of a corresponding first vehicle 12) is 55 metres or less from the receiving device (and hence from the second vehicle).
Similarly, the receiving device 30 can be adapted or programmed to determine that if the second vehicle 32 is travelling at 80 km/h per hour it is likely to require a stopping distance of 70 metres, and therefore to issue the alert if the location of a transmitting device 10 (and hence of a corresponding first vehicle 12) is 70 metres or less from the receiving device (and hence the second vehicle).
If the transmitting device 10 and app are adapted to determine the direction of travel of the first vehicle 12, then this may be another factor taken into account by the receiving device 30 as a criterion that needs to be satisfied before an alert will be issued. For example, a criterion for an alert to be issued can be that, taking into account the direction of travel of the first vehicle 12, the vehicle is not moving further away from the second vehicle 32. An example of when the first vehicle 12 may be moving further away from the second vehicle 32 is where the first vehicle is travelling transversely relative to, and away from, the second vehicle.
The alert is preferably an audible alert such as a tone, alarm, bell sound, and so on. Alternatively or in addition, the alert can be visual alert such as warning light, or flashing light, or other visual signal on the receiving device 30.
According to a preferred embodiment, the receiving device 30 is adapted to prevent or reduce the chance of superfluous alerts being actuated in the event of a large number of first vehicles 12 travelling in a cluster, as may occur, for instance in a peloton formation. For example, if the receiving device 30 determines that there are more than six transmitting devices 10 (and hence bicycles) in close proximity to the second vehicle 32, and to one another, the receiving device is configured to actuate only a single alert and not to issue separate alerts for all of the first vehicles 12.
Then, the receiving device 30 is adapted to reset this functionality once the peloton formation has moved away, so as once again to be adapted to issue separate alerts in relation to different first vehicles 12.
The transmitting device 10 may be provided with other features as well. For example, where the transmitting device 10 is in the form of a mobile phone having a movement sensor (not shown), the app can be adapted to cause the device to place a call to a predetermined emergency number in the event that the transmitting device has remained stationary for a predetermined length of time, possibly indicating that the operator of the transmitting device (i.e. the rider) is incapacitated. For example, the operator may have the option of setting that period of time to 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or 45 minutes. In this case, the app is adapted to cause the transmitting device 10 to continue transmitting signals representing the location of the transmitting device until this function is switched off.
According to preferred embodiments, the functionality of the receiving device 30 is capable of being included or pre-programmed with new built-in or portable vehicle navigation systems, of retrofit to, or later programmed into, those devices.
In addition, where the transmitting device 10 is a mobile phone, aversion of the app suitable for the phone’s operating system can be downloaded to the phone via the internet.
Although the invention is described with reference to particular embodiments, it is not limited to those embodiments but may be embodied in many other forms.
Claims (3)
1. A method of determining, for an operator of a second vehicle, the location of a first vehicle using a transmitting device adapted for being supported in relation to the first vehicle at a first vehicle location and adapted for travelling with the first vehicle as the first vehicle travels, the method including: transmitting wireless signals from the transmitting device for enabling the first vehicle location to be determined at a location remote from the first vehicle location, thereby enabling a receiving device adapted for being supported in relation to the second vehicle at a second vehicle location, and adapted for travelling with the second vehicle as the second vehicle travels, to receive wireless signals, the received signals having been transmitted from a location remote from the second vehicle location and having been at least partly enabled by the wireless signals transmitted from the transmitting device, and for determining the first vehicle location from the received signals.
2. A method of determining, for an operator of a second vehicle, the location of a first vehicle using a receiving device adapted for being supported in relation to the second vehicle at a second vehicle location, and adapted for travelling with the second vehicle as the second vehicle travels, the method including: receiving wireless signals, said received signals having been transmitted from a location remote from the second vehicle location and having been at least partly enabled by wireless signals transmitted from a transmitting device adapted for being supported in relation to the first vehicle at a first vehicle location and for travelling with the first vehicle as the first vehicle travels; and determining the first vehicle location from the received signals.
3. A method of determining, for an operator driver of a second vehicle, the location of a first vehicle, the method including: causing wireless signals to be transmitted from a transmitting device adapted for being supported in relation to a first vehicle at a first vehicle location, and adapted for travelling with the first vehicle as the first vehicle travels, the transmitted signals being adapted to enable the first vehicle location to be determined at a location remote from the first vehicle location; causing a receiving device adapted for being supported in relation to a second vehicle at a second vehicle location, and adapted for travelling with the second vehicle as the second vehicle travels, to receive wireless signals, the received signals having been transmitted from a location remote from the second vehicle location and having been at least partly enabled by the wireless signals transmitted from the transmitting device; and determining the first vehicle location from the received signals.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU2016101387A AU2016101387A4 (en) | 2015-08-03 | 2016-08-03 | Vehicle location method |
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU2015903077 | 2015-08-03 | ||
| AU2015903077A AU2015903077A0 (en) | 2015-08-03 | Vehicle location method | |
| AU2016101387A AU2016101387A4 (en) | 2015-08-03 | 2016-08-03 | Vehicle location method |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| AU2016101387A4 true AU2016101387A4 (en) | 2016-09-01 |
Family
ID=56797753
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU2016101387A Ceased AU2016101387A4 (en) | 2015-08-03 | 2016-08-03 | Vehicle location method |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| AU (1) | AU2016101387A4 (en) |
-
2016
- 2016-08-03 AU AU2016101387A patent/AU2016101387A4/en not_active Ceased
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FGI | Letters patent sealed or granted (innovation patent) | ||
| MK22 | Patent ceased section 143a(d), or expired - non payment of renewal fee or expiry |