Advance notification system and method utilizing a distinctive telephone ring

An advance notification system for notifying a user of an impending arrival of a vehicle at a vehicle stop, comprising:

• first means for monitoring travel of said vehicle;
• second means for initiating a telephone call to a user telephone interface associated with said user before said vehicle reaches said vehicle stop to thereby indicate impending arrival of said vehicle at said vehicle stop;
• and
• third means for causing said user telephone interface to exhibit a distinctive telephone ring sound that is associated with said advance notification system, said distinctive telephone ring sound indicating said impending arrival of said vehicle at said vehicle stop.

An advance notification system for notifying a user of an impending arrival of a vehicle at a vehicle stop, comprising:

• (a) a user telephone interface associated with said user;
• (b) A vehicle control unit disposed on said vehicle, said vehicle control unit configured to transmit a location signal indicating a location of said vehicle;
• and
• (c) a base station control unit having:
• (1) a receiver adapted to receive said location from said vehicle control unit;
• (2) a base station telephone interface;
• (3) a base station control mechanism controlling said receiver and said base station telephone interface, said base station control mechanism configured to automatically establish a telephone connection between said base station telephone interface and said user telephone interface when said vehicle is within a predetermined distance from said vehicle stop, so that said user telephone interface exhibits a distinctive telephone ring sound.

An advance notification system for notifying a user of an impending arrival of a vehicle at a vehicle stop, comprising:

• (a) a user telephone interface associated with said user;
• (b) a vehicle control unit disposed on said vehicle, said vehicle control unit having:
• (1) a clock;
• (2) a vehicle transmitter adapted to transmit a time signal indicative of a time from said clock;
• and
• (3) a vehicle control mechanism controlling said vehicle transmitter and said clock;
• and
• (c) a base station control unit having:
• (1) a receiver adapted to receive said time signal from said vehicle control unit;
• (2) a base station telephone interface;
• and
• (3) a base station control mechanism controlling said receiver and said base station telephone interface, said base station control mechanism configured to automatically establish a telephone connection between said base station telephone interface and said user telephone interface when said vehicle is within a predetermined time period from said vehicle stop, so that said user telephone interface exhibits a distinctive telephone ring sound.

A method for advance notification, comprising the steps of:

• monitoring travel of a vehicle;
• initiating a telephone call to a telephone before said vehicle arrives at a vehicle stop;
• and
• causing said telephone to exhibit a distinctive ring sound that is different than at least one other ring sound that is capable of being exhibited by said telephone.

A system for advance notification, comprising:

• means for monitoring travel of a vehicle;
• means for initiating a telephone call to a telephone before said vehicle arrives at a vehicle stop;
• and
• means for causing said telephone to exhibit a distinctive ring sound that is different than at least one other ring sound that is capable of being exhibited by said telephone.