34295results about "Road vehicles traffic control" patented technology

An Integrated Routing / Mapping Information System (IRMIS) links desktop personal computer cartographic applications to one or more handheld organizer, personal digital assistant (PDA) or "palmtop" devices. Such devices may be optionally equipped with, or connected to, portable Global Positioning System (GPS) or equivalent position sensing device. Desktop application facilitates user selection of areas, starts, stops, destinations, maps and / or point and / or route information. It optionally includes supplemental online information, preferably for transfer to the PDA or equivalent device. Users' options include route information, area, and route maps. Maps and related route information are configured with differential detail and levels of magnitude. Used in the field, in conjunction with GPS receiver, the PDA device is configured to display directions, text and map formats, the user's current position, heading, speed, elevation, and so forth. Audible signals identifying the next turn along the user's planned route are also provided. The user can pan across maps and zoom between two or more map scales, levels of detail, or magnitudes. The IRMIS also provides for "automatic zooming," e.g., to show greater detail or closer detail as the user approaches a destination, or to larger scale and lower resolution to show the user's overall planned route between points of interest. The IRMIS also enables the user to mark or record specific locations and / or log actual travel routes, using GPS position information. These annotated location marks and / or "breadcrumb" or GPS log data can be saved, uploaded, displayed, or otherwise processed on the user's desktop geographic information or cartographic system. The IRMIS application and data may be distributed online and / or in tangible media in limited and advanced manipulation formats.

Systems, methods, and devices for controlling and limiting use of functions, such as calling, texting, chatting, emailing, Internet surfing, and similar applications, on a mobile device when the mobile device is in a moving vehicle, includes use of an on-board computer installed within the vehicle, a transmitter in electronic communication with the on-board computer that periodically transmits speed data of the vehicle to a receiver installed on the mobile device, wherein the mobile device includes suitable software and a rules-based policy that define and control when and which functions of the mobile device are disabled or interrupted by the software when the vehicle is in motion above a minimum threshold speed. Policies are set by default but may be customized for particular individuals, devices, or circumstances. Policies may also be customized for particular groups or subgroups of employees or contractors for company or legal compliance to reduce distracted driving.

A location-based and preference-based system and method for matching the profiles of the attributes and / or characteristics of persons, places and / or things with the expressed preferences of mobile users such as travelers, to alert and direct such users to any places having attributes matching the user's express preferences. In particular, the system comprises a mobile device such as a GPS-capable PDA that stores the user's preferences and communicates with a server that contains or accesses the profiles of the persons, places or things to compare the profiles and preferences. Comparison of the user's preferences with the various profiles allows the user only to be informed of those persons, places and / or things that it is likely to be interested in. The system and method thus provides for a mobile real-time point of interest exchange network.

A method of evaluating the driving behavior in a vehicle. The method includes determining values of a plurality of parameters of the operation of a first vehicle in a first road segment, determining values of the plurality of parameters for one or more second vehicles in a second road segment having similar properties to those of the first road segment, comparing the determined values of the first vehicle and the one or more second vehicles and providing an evaluation of the driving behavior of the first vehicle, responsive to the comparison.

System and method for providing feedback to drivers. The system monitors selected vehicle parameters while a vehicle is being driven, and detects one or more vehicle operation violations by comparing the selected vehicle parameters to predetermined thresholds. A mentoring message is provided to the driver if the threshold is exceeded. If a vehicle operation violation has not been corrected within a preselected time period, then a violation report may be sent to a third party or a central server and / or a different mentoring message may be provided to the driver. Vehicle parameter data may be monitored from an on-board vehicle diagnostic system. The mentoring message may be an audible warning, such as a spoken message, or a visual warning, such as a text message. The selected vehicle parameters may be a vehicle speed, a vehicle acceleration, or a vehicle seatbelt use.

Improved approaches for monitoring status of articles being shipped are disclosed. The monitoring can produce notifications to interested parties. The notifications typically contain status information pertaining to the articles being shipped. Alternatively, interested parties can gain access to status information pertaining to the articles being shipped via a website. According to one embodiment, the status information includes at least position (location) information and shipping conditions information.

When individual persons or vehicles move through a transportation network, they are likely to be both actively and passively creating information that reflects their location and current behavior. In this patent, we propose a system that makes complete use of this information. First, through a broad web of sensors, our system collects and stores the full range of information generated by travelers. Next, through the use of previously-stored data and active computational analysis, our system deduces the identity of individual travelers. Finally, using advanced data-mining technology, our system selects useful information and transmits it back to the individual, as well as to third-party users; in short, it forms the backbone for a variety of useful location-related end-user applications.

A system and method for creating a unified commercial real estate data model through collection, distribution and use of information in connection with commercial real estate and for creating a web-based marketplace that facilitates the efficient and secure buying and selling of commercial properties. The invention provides a digital marketplace in which the members of the commercial real estate and related business community can continuously interact and facilitate transactions by efficiently exchanging accurate and standardized information. The present invention also facilitates mortgage lending and provides enough information to allow lenders to underwrite a property. The present invention also provides a mobile data gathering and dissemination vehicle as well as a system tracking and dispatch of mobile vehicles. The present invention further provides correlation of data stored in a remote location to vehicle position in real time.