Electronic speed limit notification system

Claim 2

An electronic speed limit notification system comprising: at least one transmitter for transmitting speed limit information ("SLI"), said SLI comprising: at least one speed limit, wherein said speed limit is the maximum or minimum legal speed for specific vehicles on a specific segment of a specific route traveling in a specific direction; and route designator information for each speed limit of the SLI, the route designator information indicating the specific route to which the speed limit applies.

Claim 3

The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one receiver for use in a vehicle and adapted to receive the SLI transmitted by at least one transmitter.

Claim 4

The system of claim 1 wherein the system comprises more than one transmitter and wherein each transmitter is located at a location apart from other transmitters for transmitting SLI relevant to the location.

Claim 5

The system of claim 1 wherein the transmitter further comprises means for transmitting data indicating a plurality of speed limits.

Claim 6

The system of claim 1 wherein the transmitter further comprises means for transmitting data indicating to which segment of the route each speed limit applies.

Claim 7

The system of claim 1 wherein the transmitter further comprises means for transmitting data indicating the direction of travel ("DOT") to which each speed limit applies.

Claim 8

The system of claim 1 wherein the transmitter further comprises means for transmitting data selected from the group consisting of road hazard information, traffic reports, construction reports, weather reports, and E-Mail-type messages.

Claim 9

The system of claim 1 wherein the transmitter is a self-powered transmitter that transmits the SLI continuously or at predetermined intervals.

Claim 10

The system of claim 1 wherein the transmitter is a multidirectional transmitter.

Claim 11

The system of claim 1 wherein the transmitter also transmits driving conditions data that changes over time.

Claim 12

In an electronic speed limit notification system comprising at least one transmitter for transmitting speed limit information ("SLI"), a receiver for receiving transmitted SLI for use in a vehicle, said receiver comprising means for presenting at least part of said SLI to a person controlling said vehicle, said SLI comprising: at least one speed limit, wherein said speed limit is the maximum or minimum legal speed for specific vehicles on a specific segment of a specific route traveling in a specific direction; and route designator information for each speed limit of the SLI, the route designator information indicating the specific route to which the speed limit applies.

Claim 13

In an electronic speed limit notification system comprising at least one transmitter for transmitting speed limit information ("SLI"), a receiver for receiving transmitted SLI for use in a vehicle, said receiver comprising means for presenting at least part of said SLI to a person controlling said vehicle, said SLI comprising: at least one speed limit, wherein said speed limit is the maximum or minimum legal speed for specific vehicles on a specific segment of a specific route traveling in a specific direction; and route designator information for each speed limit of the SLI, the route designator information indicating the specific route to which the speed limit applies.

Claim 14

The receiver of claim 11 further comprising: a speaker, said speaker for use by said system: (i) as an alarm when the vehicle is over the speed limit, and (ii) to audibly convey a representation of the information received or computed.

Claim 15

The receiver of claim 11 further comprising a display, said display for visibly conveying a representation of any of the information received.

Claim 16

The receiver of claim 11 further comprising an alarm for indicating when the vehicle is over the received speed limit.

Claim 17

The receiver of claim 11 further comprising means for interfacing with an odometer.

Claim 18

The receiver of claim 11 further comprising means for interfacing with a speedometer.

Claim 19

The receiver of claim 11 wherein said receiver further comprises a means for receiving data from an onboard information device selected from the group consisting of an onboard fuel efficiency computer, an onboard map system, and an onboard Global Positioning System receiver.

Claim 20

The receiver of claim 11 further comprising: means for controlling a cruise control system, or an equivalent device, utilizing the speed limit information.

Claim 21

The receiver of claim 11 further comprising: means for determining from said SLI whether or not a given speed limit applies to said receiver, said means comprising an algorithm that utilizes: (i) a vehicle class indicator, and (ii) a DOT indicator together with DOT information supplied by an onboard compass.

Claim 22

The receiver of claim 11 further comprising a means for deciding whether or not an applicable speed limit remains valid by comparing the vehicle's current DOT with a given baseline and if the difference exceeds a given threshold, declaring the speed limit no longer valid.

Claim 23

The receiver of claim 11 wherein the receiver comprises means for receiving information from a self-powered transmitter that transmits the SLI continuously or at predetermined intervals.

Claim 24

The receiver of claim 11 wherein the receiver comprises means for receiving information from a multidirectional transmitter that transmits the SLI.

Claim 25

The receiver of claim 11 wherein the receiver comprises means for receiving driving conditions data that changes over time.

Claim 26

The receiver of claim 11 wherein said receiver comprises means for receiving data from an onboard fuel efficiency computer.

Claim 27

The receiver of claim 11 wherein said receiver comprises means for receiving data indicating a plurality of speed limits.

Claim 28

The receiver of claim 25 wherein said receiver comprises means for receiving data indicating to which segment of the route each speed limit applies.

Claim 29

The receiver of claim 25 wherein said receiver comprises means for receiving data indicating the direction of travel ("DOT") to which each speed limit applies.

Claim 30

The receiver of claim 25 wherein said receiver comprises means for receiving road information data selected from the group consisting of road hazard information, traffic reports, construction reports, weather reports, and E-Mail-type messages.

Claim 31

An electronic speed limit notification method comprising: transmitting speed limit information ("SLI"), said SLI comprising: one or more speed limits, wherein said speed limit is the maximum or minimum legal speed for specific vehicles on a specific segment of a specific road traveling in a specific direction; and road designator information for each speed limit of the SLI, the road designator information indicating the specific road to which the speed limit applies.

Claim 32

An electronic speed limit notification method comprising: transmitting speed limit information ("SLI"), said SLI comprising: one or more speed limits, wherein said speed limit is the maximum or minimum legal speed for specific vehicles on a specific segment of a specific road traveling in a specific direction; and road designator information for each speed limit of the SLI, the road designator information indicating the specific road to which the speed limit applies.

Claim 33

The electronic speed limit notification method of claim 29 further comprising receiving, in a vehicle, said transmitted SLI.

Claim 34

The method of claim 30 further comprising: receiving data indicating a plurality of speed limits; receiving data, for each speed limit, indicating which road and DOT and vehicles the speed limit applies to, said data comprising a road designator, a DOT identifier, and a vehicle class identifier; and receiving road information data selected from the group consisting of road hazard information, traffic reports, construction reports, weather reports, and E-Mail-type messages.

Claim 35

The method of claim 30 wherein said receiving further comprises receiving data from an onboard information device selected from the group consisting of an onboard fuel efficiency computer, an onboard map system, and an onboard Global Positioning System receiver.

Claim 36

The method of claim 30 further comprising controlling a cruise control system, or an equivalent device, utilizing the speed limit information.

Claim 37

The method of claim 30 further comprising comparing the vehicle's current DOT with a given baseline and if the difference exceeds a given threshold, deciding that an applicable speed limit no longer remains valid.

Claim 38

The method of claim 30 wherein said transmitting further comprises transmitting from a self-powered transmitter that transmits the SLI continuously or at predetermined intervals.

Claim 39

The method of claim 30 wherein said transmitting further comprises transmitting from a multidirectional transmitter.

Claim 40

The method of claim 30 further comprising transmitting driving conditions data that changes over time.

Claim 41

The method of claim 30 further comprising receiving data from an onboard fuel efficiency computer.

Claim 42

The method of claim 30 further comprising determining from said SLI whether or not a received speed limit applies to the receiving vehicle.

Claim 43

The method of claim 39 further comprising using an algorithm that utilizes: (i) a vehicle class indicator, and (ii) a DOT indicator together with DOT information supplied by an onboard compass.

Claim 44

In an electronic speed limit notification system comprising at least one transmitter for transmitting speed limit information ("SLI"), said SLI comprising at least one speed limit, wherein said speed limit is the maximum or minimum legal speed for specific vehicles on a specific segment of a specific route traveling in a specific direction, a receiver for receiving transmitted SLI for use in a vehicle, said receiver comprising means for presenting said SLI to a person controlling said vehicle.

Claim 45

In an electronic speed limit notification system comprising at least one transmitter for transmitting speed limit information ("SLI"), said SLI comprising at least one speed limit, wherein said speed limit is the maximum or minimum legal speed for specific vehicles on a specific segment of a specific route traveling in a specific direction, a receiver for receiving transmitted SLI for use in a vehicle, said receiver comprising means for presenting said SLI to a person controlling said vehicle.

Claim 46

An electronic speed limit notification method comprising: transmitting speed limit information ("SLI"), said SLI comprising one or more speed limits, wherein said speed limit is the maximum or minimum legal speed for specific vehicles on a specific segment of a specific road traveling in a specific direction; receiving, in a vehicle, transmitted speed limit information ("SLI"), said SLI comprising one or more speed limits, wherein said speed limit is the maximum or minimum legal speed for specific vehicles on a specific segment of a specific road traveling in a specific direction; and deciding whether or not an applicable speed limit remains valid, wherein said step of deciding comprises using an algorithm that (i) measures the change in the vehicle's DOT since the last update or the difference between the vehicle's current DOT and the DOT field of the last update, (ii) measures the elapsed time since the last update, possibly using different time thresholds for different speed limits or types of roads or types of areas, (iii) measures the elapsed distance since the last update, possibly using different distance thresholds for different speed limits or types of roads or types of areas, and (iv) recognizes a disable code, said code possibly being a speed limit of zero for a given road and DOT and vehicle class.

Claim 47

An electronic speed limit notification method comprising: transmitting speed limit information ("SLI"), said SLI comprising one or more speed limits, wherein said speed limit is the maximum or minimum legal speed for specific vehicles on a specific segment of a specific road traveling in a specific direction; receiving, in a vehicle, transmitted speed limit information ("SLI"), said SLI comprising one or more speed limits, wherein said speed limit is the maximum or minimum legal speed for specific vehicles on a specific segment of a specific road traveling in a specific direction; and deciding whether or not an applicable speed limit remains valid, wherein said step of deciding comprises using an algorithm that (i) measures the change in the vehicle's DOT since the last update or the difference between the vehicle's current DOT and the DOT field of the last update, (ii) measures the elapsed time since the last update, possibly using different time thresholds for different speed limits or types of roads or types of areas, (iii) measures the elapsed distance since the last update, possibly using different distance thresholds for different speed limits or types of roads or types of areas, and (iv) recognizes a disable code, said code possibly being a speed limit of zero for a given road and DOT and vehicle class.