Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Vehicle subsystem or accessory control
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-19
2001-07-24
Zanelli, Michael J. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
Vehicle subsystem or accessory control
C701S001000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06266589
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to automotive safety systems and, more particularly, to a speed-based system for disabling the functionality of automotive applications.
2. Background Description
There are an increasing number of increasingly-sophisticated electronic applications appearing in automobiles. Current examples include cellular telephones, multi-function entertainment systems, Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) mapping systems, environment/air-conditioning systems with digital displays, digital compasses, etc. Future examples are likely to include sophisticated, integrated computerized systems with multi-function displays. As is known from human factors studies of military aircraft, there are times during the operation of a vehicle when driver performance (and safety) can be dangerously compromised when attention is diverted from the immediate task of operating the vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to reduce the number of potential distractions to a driver of an automotive vehicle as the speed of the vehicle increases.
The invention applies rule-based global heuristics across electronic device functions in the driver's “cockpit” to gate which potentially distracting states (e.g. functionality) of various electronic devices are available to the driver as a function of speed of the vehicle. For example, if an FM or Internet radio has a visual display which could show the track name and artist name (and perhaps a graphic representation of the album cover), that portion of the functionality might only be available when the vehicle is traveling at a speed less than 30 miles per hour (mph). At greater speeds, only the audio portion of the radio would be functional, and the graphic display would be turned off. Another example is the visual mapping portion of a GPS way-finding aid would be turned off unless the car was stopped, leaving only the audio portion giving driving directions when the car is in motion.
In a specific embodiment, vehicle speed data is supplied to a rules based system which applies rules that determine the state of various electronic devices at a given speed. The output of the rules based system is applied by a mechanism which communicates on/off decisions to the electronic devices.
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Boies Stephen J.
Kelley John F.
Gibson Eric M
International Business Machines - Corporation
Kaufman Stephen C.
McGuireWoods LLP
Zanelli Michael J.
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