US 5,847,663 A · Multi purpose communications system for intelligent roadways based on time-companded, spoken advisories

Abstract

Real-time, multi-purpose advisories that inform users of roadways on upcoming situations, require frequent gathering and interpreting of information gleaned from road systems, and then feedingback information by means of repeated, spoken descriptives pertinent to each driver's location and heading. A system that provides all this, plus supports interactive communications between specific vehicles and a control center for purposes of describing roadway incidents, for the dispatch of emergency services; to request aid if stranded; to request destination directions; to receive destination-specific alternate-route advisories; etc., is described by the invention. Communication system simplification, essential to system practicality, is realized by time compressed, digitized spoken messages that flow thru single frequency, unidirectional repeaters, each message representing about 30 seconds of spoken descriptive advisory compressed into less than one second. These packets are dropped off and digitally stored at designated repeater sites for radio transmission of the original spoken message to all, or to specific vehicles in that repeater's vicinity.

Claims19

Dependent claims

In a multi purpose road/vehicle communications system, a relatively low cost method for collecting data, for distributing real-time location & heading-specific spoken descriptive advisories related to roadway conditions, and for supporting interactive vehicle-specific and/or destination-specific advisories, is comprised of the following steps:

inputting roadway data received from many road sensors and passing vehicles to a control center where spoken advisory and/or descriptive messages are created and addressed;
sending said addressed spoken messages to the road's remote-terminal;
converting said messages into time-compressed digital message bursts;
feeding said compressed message bursts sequentially into a single transmission medium served by a unidirectional repeater chain with repeaters typically spaced 2 miles apart;
dropping each message burst at its addressed repeater site where said message is digitally stored in a memory device that is continuously readout until cleared on instruction from said control center;
time-expanding said digital message readout, converting said message to its original analogue form;
and
modulating a low power radio transmitter with said analogue message for reception by appropriately tuned vehicular radio receivers passing in the vicinity of said repeater site.

5 more elements

A multi purpose advisory communications system for intelligent roadways is comprised of:

control center with means for composing and addressing spoken messages, typically 30 seconds in duration, and means for displaying picked-up roadway data;
remote terminii, located at the extremity of each monitored road, with means for receiving and converting said analogue messages into time compressed, digital bursts and for communicating said digital message bursts to a first, unidirectional repeater;
plurality of unidirectional repeaters, located at points along roadways, each with means to receive and retransmit signals emanating from said terminus and for dropping and storing appropriately addressed message bursts, and for adding picked-up roadway data into said message stream in designated time slots;
plurality of low power radio transmitter pairs located at each said repeater site with each said pair's input connected to repeater's appropriate dropline, each radio transmitter operating on one of two assigned DOT frequencies onto which is modulated that direction's analogue spoken message;
plurality of vehicular radio receivers with means to process said radio signals received from repeater sites so drivers hear spoken messages pertinent to their roadway location, to their direction-of-travel, and sometimes to their specific vehicle or their destination;
plurality of low power vehicular radio transmitters with means for driver to initiate a digital burst transmission to nearest repeater site;
and
near-end terminus with means for receiving and organizing roadway data received from said repeater chain, and means for interfacing said data to control center processing and display apparatus.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Multi purpose communications system for intelligent roadways based on time-companded, spoken advisories

Life of this patent

Multi purpose communications system for intelligent roadways based on time-companded, spoken advisories

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19