US20040143391A1 — GPS-based vehicle warning and location system and…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 315 words

1 . An emergency vehicle alert system for providing information as to a location of an emergency vehicle to a motor vehicle, the system comprising: a first GPS receiving unit that is provided on said emergency vehicle and that is configured to receive at least three different GPS signals from at least different GPS satellites and to determine emergency vehicle location information of said emergency vehicle; a radio-wave transmitter unit that is provided on said emergency vehicle and that is configured to transmit said emergency vehicle location information by way of an emergency vehicle location signal that includes said emergency vehicle location information; a second GPS receiving unit that is provided on said motor vehicle and that is configured to receive at least three different GPS signals from at least three different GPS satellites and to determine vehicle location information of said motor vehicle as a result thereof; a radio-wave receiver unit that is provided on said motor vehicle and that is configured to receive the emergency location signal output by said radio-wave transmitter unit of said emergency vehicle; and a map display that is provided on said motor vehicle and that is configured to display, on a map that includes a plurality of street locations provided thereon, a current location of said motor vehicle as provided by the vehicle location information, and the map display configured to display, on the map, a current location of said emergency vehicle as provided by the emergency vehicle location information obtained from the emergency vehicle location signal received by said radio-wave receiver unit when said radio-wave receiver unit is in radio-wave communication range with respect to said radio-wave transmitter unit, wherein the map display displays the emergency vehicle as an icon on the map display with a different visual characteristic when the emergency vehicle is determined to be within a particular location with respect to the motor vehicle.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 315 words

1 . An emergency vehicle alert system for providing information as to a location of an emergency vehicle to a motor vehicle, the system comprising: a first GPS receiving unit that is provided on said emergency vehicle and that is configured to receive at least three different GPS signals from at least different GPS satellites and to determine emergency vehicle location information of said emergency vehicle; a radio-wave transmitter unit that is provided on said emergency vehicle and that is configured to transmit said emergency vehicle location information by way of an emergency vehicle location signal that includes said emergency vehicle location information; a second GPS receiving unit that is provided on said motor vehicle and that is configured to receive at least three different GPS signals from at least three different GPS satellites and to determine vehicle location information of said motor vehicle as a result thereof; a radio-wave receiver unit that is provided on said motor vehicle and that is configured to receive the emergency location signal output by said radio-wave transmitter unit of said emergency vehicle; and a map display that is provided on said motor vehicle and that is configured to display, on a map that includes a plurality of street locations provided thereon, a current location of said motor vehicle as provided by the vehicle location information, and the map display configured to display, on the map, a current location of said emergency vehicle as provided by the emergency vehicle location information obtained from the emergency vehicle location signal received by said radio-wave receiver unit when said radio-wave receiver unit is in radio-wave communication range with respect to said radio-wave transmitter unit, wherein the map display displays the emergency vehicle as an icon on the map display with a different visual characteristic when the emergency vehicle is determined to be within a particular location with respect to the motor vehicle.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 30 words

2 . The emergency vehicle alert system according to claim 1 , wherein the emergency vehicle is one of a police vehicle, a fire station vehicle, and a school bus.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 47 words

3 . The emergency vehicle alert system according to claim 1 , further comprising: an audible warning unit that is configured to output an audible alarm within a passenger compartment of said motor vehicle when said emergency vehicle location signal is received by said radio-wave receiver unit.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 46 words

4 . The emergency vehicle alert system according to claim 3 , wherein said audible warning unit is configured to output computer-generated speech that provides information with respect to a particular street location and moving direction of said emergency vehicle with respect to said motor vehicle.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 237 words

5 . An emergency vehicle that provides a warning indication to other vehicles, the emergency vehicle comprising: a GPS receiving unit that is configured to receive at least three different GPS signals from at least different GPS satellites and to determine emergency vehicle location information of said emergency vehicle as a result thereof; a radio-wave transmitter unit that is configured to transmit said emergency vehicle location information by way of an emergency vehicle location signal that includes said emergency vehicle location information; a radio-wave receiving unit that is configured to receive radio-wave signals from at least one other emergency vehicle that include information as to a current location of the at least one other emergency vehicle; a controller that is configured to determine a latitude and longitude position of said emergency vehicle based on the at least three different GPS signals, and to determine a latitude and longitude position of said at least one other emergency vehicle based on the received radio-wave signals; and a map display that is configured to display, on a map that includes a plurality of street locations provided thereon, a current location of said emergency vehicle and said at least one other emergency vehicle, wherein the map display displays the emergency vehicle as an icon on the map display with a different visual characteristic when the emergency vehicle is determined to be within a particular location with respect to the motor vehicle.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 237 words

5 . An emergency vehicle that provides a warning indication to other vehicles, the emergency vehicle comprising: a GPS receiving unit that is configured to receive at least three different GPS signals from at least different GPS satellites and to determine emergency vehicle location information of said emergency vehicle as a result thereof; a radio-wave transmitter unit that is configured to transmit said emergency vehicle location information by way of an emergency vehicle location signal that includes said emergency vehicle location information; a radio-wave receiving unit that is configured to receive radio-wave signals from at least one other emergency vehicle that include information as to a current location of the at least one other emergency vehicle; a controller that is configured to determine a latitude and longitude position of said emergency vehicle based on the at least three different GPS signals, and to determine a latitude and longitude position of said at least one other emergency vehicle based on the received radio-wave signals; and a map display that is configured to display, on a map that includes a plurality of street locations provided thereon, a current location of said emergency vehicle and said at least one other emergency vehicle, wherein the map display displays the emergency vehicle as an icon on the map display with a different visual characteristic when the emergency vehicle is determined to be within a particular location with respect to the motor vehicle.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 28 words

6 . The emergency vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the emergency vehicle is one of a police vehicle, a fire station vehicle, and a school bus.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 51 words

7 . The emergency vehicle according to claim 5 , further comprising: an audible warning unit that is configured to output an audible alarm within a passenger compartment of said emergency vehicle when said radio signals output by said at least one other emergency vehicle are received by said emergency vehicle.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 48 words

8 . The emergency vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein said audible warning unit is configured to output computer-generated speech that provides information with respect to a particular street location and moving direction of said at least one other emergency vehicle with respect to said emergency vehicle.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 216 words

9 . An emergency vehicle alert system that is provided on a motor vehicle, the system comprising: a GPS receiving unit that is configured to receive at least three different GPS signals from at least different GPS satellites and to determine vehicle location information of said motor vehicle as a result thereof; a radio-wave receiver unit that is configured to receive an emergency vehicle location signal output by an emergency vehicle; and a map display that is configured to display, on a map that includes a plurality of street locations provided thereon, a current location of said motor vehicle as provided by the vehicle location information as determined by said GPS receiving unit, and the map display configured to display, on the map, a current location of said emergency vehicle as obtained from the emergency vehicle location signal received by said radio-wave receiver unit when said radio-wave receiver unit is in radio-wave communication range with respect to said emergency vehicle, wherein the map display displays the emergency vehicle as an icon on the map display with a different visual characteristic when the emergency vehicle is determined to be within a predetermined distance from the motor vehicle as compared to when the emergency vehicle is determined to be greater than the predetermined distance from the motor vehicle.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 216 words

9 . An emergency vehicle alert system that is provided on a motor vehicle, the system comprising: a GPS receiving unit that is configured to receive at least three different GPS signals from at least different GPS satellites and to determine vehicle location information of said motor vehicle as a result thereof; a radio-wave receiver unit that is configured to receive an emergency vehicle location signal output by an emergency vehicle; and a map display that is configured to display, on a map that includes a plurality of street locations provided thereon, a current location of said motor vehicle as provided by the vehicle location information as determined by said GPS receiving unit, and the map display configured to display, on the map, a current location of said emergency vehicle as obtained from the emergency vehicle location signal received by said radio-wave receiver unit when said radio-wave receiver unit is in radio-wave communication range with respect to said emergency vehicle, wherein the map display displays the emergency vehicle as an icon on the map display with a different visual characteristic when the emergency vehicle is determined to be within a predetermined distance from the motor vehicle as compared to when the emergency vehicle is determined to be greater than the predetermined distance from the motor vehicle.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 30 words

10 . The emergency vehicle alert system according to claim 9 , wherein the emergency vehicle is one of a police vehicle, a fire station vehicle, and a school bus.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 47 words

11 . The emergency vehicle alert system according to claim 9 , further comprising: an audible warning unit that is configured to output an audible alarm within a passenger compartment of said motor vehicle when said emergency vehicle location signal is received by said radio-wave receiver unit.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 46 words

12 . The emergency vehicle alert system according to claim 9 , wherein said audible warning unit is configured to output computer-generated speech that provides information with respect to a particular street location and moving direction of said emergency vehicle with respect to said motor vehicle.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 204 words

13 . An emergency vehicle alert method that provides information as to a location of an emergency vehicle to a motor vehicle, the method comprising: receiving, by said emergency vehicle, at least three different GPS signals from at least different GPS satellites, and determining emergency vehicle location information of said emergency vehicle as a result thereof; transmitting, by said emergency vehicle, said emergency vehicle location information by way of an emergency vehicle location signal; receiving, by said motor vehicle, at least three different GPS signals from at least three different GPS satellites, and determining vehicle location information of said motor vehicle as a result thereof; receiving, when the motor vehicle is within a predetermined distance of said emergency vehicle, the emergency location signal output by said emergency vehicle; displaying, on a map that includes a plurality of street locations provided thereon, a) a current location of said motor vehicle as a first icon on the map as determined by the vehicle location information, and b) a current location of said emergency vehicle as a second icon on the map as determined from information in said emergency vehicle location signal, wherein the second icon has a different visual characteristic as compared to the first icon.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 204 words

13 . An emergency vehicle alert method that provides information as to a location of an emergency vehicle to a motor vehicle, the method comprising: receiving, by said emergency vehicle, at least three different GPS signals from at least different GPS satellites, and determining emergency vehicle location information of said emergency vehicle as a result thereof; transmitting, by said emergency vehicle, said emergency vehicle location information by way of an emergency vehicle location signal; receiving, by said motor vehicle, at least three different GPS signals from at least three different GPS satellites, and determining vehicle location information of said motor vehicle as a result thereof; receiving, when the motor vehicle is within a predetermined distance of said emergency vehicle, the emergency location signal output by said emergency vehicle; displaying, on a map that includes a plurality of street locations provided thereon, a) a current location of said motor vehicle as a first icon on the map as determined by the vehicle location information, and b) a current location of said emergency vehicle as a second icon on the map as determined from information in said emergency vehicle location signal, wherein the second icon has a different visual characteristic as compared to the first icon.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 27 words

14 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein the emergency vehicle is one of a police vehicle, a fire station vehicle, and a school bus.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 35 words

15 . The method according to claim 13 , further comprising: outputting an audible alarm within a passenger compartment of said motor vehicle when said emergency vehicle location signal is received by said motor vehicle.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 35 words

16 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein said audible alarm provides information with respect to a particular street location and moving direction of said emergency vehicle with respect to said motor vehicle.

GPS-based vehicle warning and location system and method

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