EP0317181B1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Road vehicle route selection and guidance systems
Assignee: Siemens Plessey Controls Ltd
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Filing: 1988-11-10
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Granted: 1994-01-19
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Expires: 2008-11-10
Abstract
No abstract record available.
Inventors
- 👤 David William Tarrant
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 03:23
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01C; G01C21/00; G01C21/26; G01C21/34; G08; G08G; G08G1/00; G08G1/09; G08G1/0962; G08G1/0968; G08G1/0969
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
185 words
A road vehicle route selection and guidance system, comprising a network of beacons (6) distributed at selected points over a designated road system, each beacon (6) including a transmitter (14) for transmitting to passing vehicles information regarding primary routes of the road system and a detailed road map in digital form of an area local to the beacon, a plurality of vehicles each including a receiver (30) for receiving information from beacons (6) en route, a memory store (42) coupled to store the received information, a computing means (32) which includes a route finding algorithm and means for providing positional information of the vehicle, characterised in that in use of the system the computing means (32) of the vehicle is operative to select an appropriate route over the primary roads of the road system from the received information, and when the vehicle approaches its destination, the vehicle computing means (32) is operative to access the received local area map and to provide guidance information to the intended destination by means of the local area map, the route finding algorithm and positional information of the vehicle.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
103 words
A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said network of beacons (6) distributed at selected points over a designated road system are connected by a data communications network (4) to a computer system (2), the computer system (2) being operative to calculate sets of routeing trees for optimum routes between nodes of the road system and to transmit to each beacon (6) or selected beacons a respective set of routeing trees, each such beacon (6) being operative to store the respective set of routing trees and in addition a detailed road map in digital form of the area local to the beacon.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the computer system (2) has stored therein a road system map in digital form for the area served by the system and being operative to calculate sets of routeing trees from the road system map.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
A system according to claim 3, including means for continuously updating the map stored by the computer system.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
31 words
A system according to any preceding claim, wherein the transmitter and receivers of the beacons (6) and vehicles each comprise infra-red transceivers means (12, 16) respectively, for pcm modulated infra-red radiation.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
27 words
A system according to any preceding claim wherein the memory store (42) of each vehicle computing means (32) comprises a random access memory in integrated circuit form.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
16 words
A system according to any preceding claim wherein each vehicle includes an electronic compass means (36).
Claim 8
Independent Claim
53 words
A system according to any preceding claim, wherein upon the computing means (32) detecting the vehicle having taken a wrong route, the computing means (32) is operative to access the local area map to provide guidance information to return the vehicle to the correct route or to the next beacon (6) en route.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
51 words
A system according to claim 1, wherein at least one vehicle includes an FM receiver for receiving encoded information in a sideband of an FM broadcast signal relating to the primary route system, the computing means (32) including means for amending route information contained therein on the basis of this information.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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