Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication
Reexamination Certificate
2003-01-15
2004-10-19
Black, Thomas C. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
C701S200000, C701S212000, C340S932200, C340S988000, C340S995150
Reexamination Certificate
active
06807467
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a system for providing information to a driver of a vehicle such as automobile. More specifically, the present invention relates to the information providing system capable of providing and presenting information about a facility with a parking lot and facilities near a parking lot in appropriate form in relation to vehicle speed.
Information providing apparatus is known, which is disposed near an entrance of a parking lot and presents information on a full or vacancy state of the parking lot. Recently, there has been proposed an information providing system including a lightning board disposed on a roadside which presents a total information concerning location of the peripheral parking lots and a full/vacancy state thereof. Japanese Patent Application First Publication No. 2001-175998 discloses an information providing system for providing such an information about location and full/vacancy state of the parking lot via an in-vehicle navigation system to the vehicle driver.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
However, there have not been proposed an information providing system for providing information on facilities near a parking lot to a driver of a vehicle. If the driver has no information on an objective facility, an objective event or the like before reaching a parking lot in an objective area, the driver will lose a route to the objective facility or must separately check information on the objective event. Further, if the driver is not provided with information about the parking lot, for example, a configuration thereof, a full/vacancy state thereof, a location of a vacant space thereof, and the like, the driver may take much time to find and reach the vacant space. Thus, there will occur inconvenience to the vehicle driver unless there is provided information concerning the driver's action to be taken after reaching the parking lot.
It would threrefore be desirable to provide an information providing system and an information providing method which are capable of appropriately providing effective information concerning the driver's action to be taken after reaching a parking lot, such as information on the parking lot and the peripheral facilities, in the course of the driver's traveling into the parking lot.
In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for providing information to a driver of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
information storage means for storing information data about a facility with a parking lot;
speed measuring means for measuring vehicle speed of the vehicle traveling into the parking lot;
information selecting means for selecting an objective information data to be provided to the driver from the stored information data on the basis of the vehicle speed measured; and
information transmitting means for transmitting the objective information data selected to the vehicle.
In a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of providing information for a driver of a vehicle, the method comprising:
storing information data about a predetermined facility with a parking lot;
measuring vehicle speed of the vehicle traveling into the parking lot;
selecting an objective information data to be provided to the driver from the stored information data on the basis of the vehicle speed measured; and
transmitting the objective information data selected to the vehicle.
In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for presenting information to a driver of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
information receiving means for receiving information data;
information memory means for storing the information data received by the information receiving means;
speed sensing means for sensing vehicle speed of the vehicle;
information control means for selecting an objective information data from the stored information data on the basis of the vehicle speed sensed; and
information presentation means for presenting the objective information data selected to the driver in a predetermined form.
In a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of presenting information to a driver of a vehicle, the method comprising:
receiving information data;
storing the information data received;
sensing vehicle speed of the vehicle;
selecting an objective information data from the stored information data on the basis of the vehicle speed sensed; and
presenting the objective information data selected to the driver in a predetermined form.
In a still further aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information providing system, comprising:
a) an apparatus for providing information to a driver of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
information storage means for storing information data about a facility with a parking lot;
speed measuring means for measuring vehicle speed of the vehicle traveling into the parking lot;
information selecting means for selecting an objective information data to be provided to the driver from the stored information data on the basis of the vehicle speed measured; and
information transmitting means for transmitting the objective information data selected to the vehicle; and
b) an apparatus for presenting information to a driver of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
information receiving means for receiving the objective information data transmitted from the information transmitting means of the apparatus for providing information;
information memory means for storing the objective information data received by the information receiving means;
speed sensing means for sensing vehicle speed of the vehicle;
information control means for selecting an information data from the stored objective information data on the basis of the vehicle speed sensed; and
information presentation means for presenting the information data selected to the driver in a predetermined form.
In a still further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of providing information for a driver of a vehicle, the method comprising:
storing information data about a predetermined facility with a parking lot;
measuring vehicle speed of the vehicle traveling into the parking lot;
selecting an objective information data to be provided to the driver from the stored information data on the basis of the vehicle speed measured;
transmitting the objective information data selected to the vehicle;
receiving the objective information data transmitted;
storing the objective information data received;
sensing vehicle speed of the vehicle;
selecting an information data from the stored objective information data on the basis of the vehicle speed sensed; and
presenting the information data selected to the driver in a predetermined form.
REFERENCES:
patent: 6147624 (2000-11-01), Clapper
patent: 6266589 (2001-07-01), Boies et al.
patent: 6266609 (2001-07-01), Fastenrath
patent: 6426708 (2002-07-01), Trajkovic et al.
patent: 6501391 (2002-12-01), Racunas, Jr.
patent: 6646568 (2003-11-01), MacPhail et al.
patent: P2001-175998 (2001-06-01), None
Black Thomas C.
Gibson Eric M.
McDermott Will & Emery LLP
Nissan Motor Co,. Ltd.
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