GB2469086A

GB2469086A - Providing a forced navigation route via a portable navigation device

Info

Publication number: GB2469086A
Application number: GB0905616A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Naseem Bari; Tony Henderson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-04-01
Filing date: 2009-04-01
Publication date: 2010-10-06
Also published as: GB0905616D0

Abstract

A system is provided wherein a portable navigation device (PND) is forced to present a route programmed by a user to ensure that the route displayed by the PND is absolute, and cannot be changed by the PND once programmed. This allows a route to be followed to ensure that the most efficient route based on cost can be used repeatedly. The system also provides a two way messaging service that can used without the need for mobile phones, or any device other than the PND. The PND can be remotely programmed, and new route information can be downloaded from a remote server. The system allows the full traceability of the journeys followed, including general information of the vehicle speed, distance, and stoppages. The system is particularly suited for use with gritting vehicles, ensuring that an exact route is followed, and that no routes are missed, giving rise to routes that could be potentially unsafe.

Description

Force Route Management and Text Messaging service system The invention described herein, is a design that aUows any Company to manage its Vehicles driving characteristics using planned routes which are beneficial to the company, as well as maintain constant communication contact with the work force in all drvng situations. The system also provides an accurate telemetry of the vehicle position, speed and driving characteristics. A system is presented that allows a Portable Navigation Device (PND) to be forced to present a route programmed by the user to io ensure that the route displayed by the PND is absolute and cannot be changed by the PND. The system then allows a route to be followed to ensure that the most efficient route based on cost can be used repeatedly. This system also provides a two way messaging service to be used without the need of mobile phones or any other device other than the PND. The PND can is be remotely programmed to allow firmware upgrades as well as new route download from the Server. The system allows the full traceability of the journeys followed including general information of the vehicle speed, distance and stoppages.

BACKGROUND

This invention relates in general to all vehicles that are being used by companies for services or functions that require significant travel and so use significant expenditure on Vehicle maintenance including consumption of fuel for all journeys.

L

Many companies now utilize navigation systems such as Global Positioning Satellites (GPS) technology to assist drivers with directions while driving to the destinations. In some companies it is essential to follow an exact route such as Gritting vehicles, that need to ensure that the routes each vehicle is required to grit, has been done and not done in an arbitrarily way, that would cause some routes to be missed and so, giving rise to routes that could be potentially unsafe.

These Satellite Navigation systems (SAT NAVs or Portable Navigation Device (PND)) provide a visual map of the route on a Liquid Crystal Display io system (LCD). The PND's systems generally do not contain any means of communication back to the company base ie location of company premises.

They also require the driver to enter the destination point and then follow the Best route" given by the PND. "Best Route" is the route that the PND calculates according to the setting parameters the user has programmed the is PND with and hence, will be different for every single PND system. They will also be completely dependent on where the user is starting point and again, every system will uses its own algorithm, such that no two SAT NAVs could calculate an identical route.

Each company also faces the problem of defining the most efficient Vehicle routes the employees use to reduce the fuel consumption by taking differing routes each time the same journey is made. The vehicle definition in this description is "any mode of transport that uses fuel and provides an electrical interface to allow a system to be installed'.

So at the present moment, there are no means of being able to program a PND or equivalent system with a predefined route to allow the journey route to be mapped for the vehicle driver and so ensuring that ONLY this route is expUcilJy followed. In addition to this there is no 2 way communication by text that allows the driver or employee to be able to feedback information when requested by the company or office.

Thus in order to try and achieve an optimum route that is efficient in fuel or by a standard route that is identical every time the vehicle is driven, there is a need for a method and a system that provides the user with accurate route displayed, that is sufficient enough to allow the driver to follow the planned route every time the same journey is made. This then overcomes the unpredictab'e calculation of the PND to give a different route each time.

There are many ways that other systems describe the behavior models of is systems to use data models based on global positioning services (GPS).

These systems include input information from users of the system. The input information being an evaluation of routes that the users have traversed and which maybe updated by users. However, these systems cannot be used by companies as they are again unpredictable when they require a point to point journey

SUMMARY OF THE NVENTON

The invention described herein is based on that the system consists of a modem (with optional GPS tracking ability), a Multi User Interface (MU I) communications device and a Portable Navigation Device (PND). The MUI acts as a communication device between a remote server and the PND.

Preferably, the system function is to allow the following functions to be performed:- * Receiving over the air software upgrades for itself making it fully re-configurable at anytime in its service life.

* Processing of two way communications (Text messages) between the PND and the remote server. The interpretation of certain outbound text messages from the PND in order to allow the PND to act as a control interface.

* Receiving "Quick setup" text message lists to pass on to the PND to further the user's ability to communicate with the remote server and/or the MUI contro' centre.

* Receiving route information from the remote server to programmatically control the PN D destination.

* Being able to send and display textual information to the user of the PND that relates directly to the state of the MUI or the state of the controlled route.

* Allowing the user to react to information presented to the user while driving by simple key answers.

* Aow the abilfty to present the routing of signals to the driver by other means such as screen keys which can iuminate indivdual keys to provide alarm or panic buttons.

* Provide the means of a multi user interface capable of being programmed to provide features that are not readily available on standard equipment which can make the use of PND and Modems and a server to act as a host of providing communications and data base.

Additional features and advantages can be realized through the techniques of the present invention by the features it provides. Other embodiments and is aspects of the invention are described in detail herein and are also considered as part of the claimed invention.

Brief Description of the drawings

For further interpretation of the design, references are made to the drawings Figure 1 shows the top level system setup.

Figure 2 shows the system connections.

DetaI Descnption The MUI [6] ultimately acts as a filter between the remote server and the PND. By doing so, the MUI [6] reduces the over the air cost of maintaining communications with the PND [5], improves reliability and reduces time lag issues (where time is a large factor). The system thus allows text messaging to be achieved without the use of a mobile phone or equivalent device the user may normally have to carry. The MUI [6] is totally configurable and is able to control the PND to force a route selected by either the user or from the remote server.

The user of the PND[5] is able to select a route that the MUI [6] is to controL They can stop the route or jump to any point of the route at any time.

The detailed description explains the embodiment of the invention, together with advantages and features, by way of operational functions. It is to be understood that variations of the described functions of the invention n its various aspects, as such, would be readily apparent to the skiUed person, and io may be made without departing from the scope of the invention in any of its aspects.

The process of operation is outlined as follows: 15. On power up the MUI[6] attempts to establish connections with both the remote Server and the PND[5].

* Upon a successful connection, the MUI[6] clears out existing information from the PND[5] and sends its latest "Quick Setup" list.

This list typically contains a list of commands the user can use, a simple list of routes the user can start and a few default text messages to allow quick communication with the remote server. However, the list can be updated at any time by the remote server.

* Once the user s ready to select a route (or the remote server has instructed the MUI[6] to) then the user can use the PNDs [5] text message interface (including the uquick setup messages) to specify a route to start. The user can also specify where in the route they wish to start from (the default is the beginning) 5. Optionally, the MUI [6] will check with the remote server to ensure it has the latest route information. The MUI [6] wiU then accept the latest route from the remote server.

* The MUI[6] then initiates the route by sending the necessary commands to the PND[5].

a * The MUI[6] constantly monitors all information from the PND [5] to establish which part of the route the PND[5] is currently on (by implication, where the user is in the world). If the PND [5] is deemed to have completed a segment of the route, the MUI [6] will then feed another set of co-ordinates to the PND [5] to continue the journey.

is. The user may wish to stop the route or jump to a route at any point.

The MUI [6] will adjust to suit the users demands and will respond to text messages from the PND [5].

* n the event of a power cycle, the MUI [6] will recover and re-initiate the route in the last known state.

* The MUI [6] is capable of reporting to the user event data (contained within the route file) as and when the conditions are met. This is in the form of receiving a text message on the PND [5]. It is optional whether the message simply ends up in the inbox or is directly displayed on the screen * On completion of the route, the user is informed and the MUI [6] relinquishes control of the PND[5].

AG. I shows one example of a system hardware setup. Figure 2 shows the system block function instaed internal to the vehicle In Figure 1, the PND [5] fitted to vehicle [1] aUows the vehide to obtain its position by using its GPS from the satellite [2]. At the same time it a'so transmits its position to the system Server [3]. This basic communication allows the basis of the hardware function to be setup. . The power to the is devices is routed from the vehicle fuse[1O] via the power bus [9]. The PND [5] is a standard Portable Navigation Device which has an external communication link [8] to the MUI [6] the communication link is achieved by standard communication protocols such as RS232 and not imited to any other Seriallparalel communication busses. The MUI [6] is connected to the is Modem [7] by a similar communication bus. Power routing is harnessed between each system from the vehicle and is fitted by utilizing the vehicle fuse system. The Modem allows the data interface between the MUI[6] to provide a path for information flow between the Server (over the air). The MUI [6] controls the flow of information and the routes assigned to the PND[5]. When Text is to be transmitted from the PND[5] it is filtered via the MUI[6] and transmitted by the Modem[7] unit to the server. This can then be viewed by the user by any standard devices that allow internet connections.

Preferab'y the Modem s also a standa'one device which incorporates its own GPS and GSM capability. This device transmits real-time information of the vehicle tracking to the server data by the GPS system.

The functiona' described in this patent can be tweaked for every system and so it is expected that anyone in the field of tracking could make minor changes to comp'y with their system, however it cannot change from the main fact that the system provides a pre-programmed route for a PND.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A system for a providing a predetermined route to be foowed based on User nteractive global positioning services (GPS), comprising; a Portable NavigaUon Device (PND), a Multi User Interface unit (MUI), a Modem unit linked to a remote Server or network, means to provide a display interface to allow the user to foUow a defined route, and a means of a display with an interactive menu to provide a messaging service information, to allow the system to provide a means of guidance for pre-determined routes to be displayed.
2. The system of claim 1, allowing the firmware inside the MUI to be upgraded over the air waves.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the PND s utilized to estabUsh the location of the user and the streaming data is filtered to allow the PND output information presented to it from the external interfaces.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the PND is utized to present data from the Server.
5. The system of claim 3, wherein the input information is utilized to determine the physical ocation traversed by the user of the route and force the User to foUow the exact route programmed regardless of deviation.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein the information is further configured to allow text messaging transmitted by the Server to be display on the PND.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein the information is further configured to is render a response to the Server based upon the user response entered on the PND.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the information is further configured to render a map with preference attributes such that the map shall be the instructional tool followed by the user.
9. The system of claim 1, being further configured to stored pre-programmed routes accessible at anytime.
10. The system of claim 1, being further configured to stored routes sent by the Server over the air waves accessible at anytime.
11. The system of claim 1, wherein the information input indudes at least one of, (i) a keypad or (ii)a touch Screen for manuay entering input information
12. The system of claim 1, wherein the data collected via the modem unit is collected in real time and stored on the server or network.
13. The system of claim 1, wherein the MUI provides an interface to control other electronic accessories such as panic buttons or alarms.
14. The system of claim 1, wherein the MUI, modem and Server provide multi user communication interface being controlled by the Server.
15. The system of claim 1, wherein the modem and Server provide multi user data base for the MUI.