MXPA97004514A - Method and apparatus for showing messages in vehicu communication systems - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a message display system for displaying messages within a vehicle, comprising: deployment means positioned within the vehicle to provide a visual indication of targeted message data having a direction associated with the deployment medium and a communication terminal means for receiving the message information in the vehicle, including the communication terminal means a message transfer means for identifying a selected portion of the message information corresponding to the message data addressed and for providing the control information of the deployment device towards the deployment means, using at least one message from another message pack including a control segment to indicate that the control information of the deployment device is contained within at least one message of another messaging package

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SHOWING MESSAGES IN VEHICULAR COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION I. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to communications systems that employ message transmitting stations and relay stations to send messages to communications terminals in mobile vehicles. More specifically, the present invention relates to a novel method and apparatus for informing vehicle drivers of the content of messages received by said terminals.

II. Description of Related Art Many recognize the need in the mobile vehicle environment for the location of the vehicle and the ability to dispatch messages. There is a significant number of commercial, governmental and private applications that require the provision or delivery of relatively short messages to or from a large number of geographically dispersed terminals or mobile transceivers, often on an irregular basis. The need for message services includes, for example, aviation, navigation, commercial transportation and services 1283 / 97MX message delivery. Other examples include the commercial truck industry, where dispatchers wish to communicate short messages to trucks located anywhere in the continental United States, especially in rural areas. Even recently, the transfer of these messages was restricted to the periodic telephone communication between drivers and a central dispatcher. However, it was shown that it was difficult, if not impossible, for drivers to consistently "call or report" at scheduled fixed hours, since telephone services are not always readily available in many areas. In addition to conventional telephone systems, other communication systems have tried to orient themselves to the mobile market. Radiotelephones, cell phones and portable radio transceivers (CB) are all capable of providing some form of communication between a mobile transceiver and a base unit. However, several factors have made these systems inadequate as message communication systems to service or service a large number of widely dispersed users. For example, the minor power transmissions within each of a cell array within 1283 / 97MX cellular communication systems are prone to a selective fading of the frequency and blocking of the signal. In addition, highly mobile units, such as trucks, frequently require changing channels as they are passing through new cells within the cellular system. Non-cellular radio and direct communication systems have proved to be similarly disadvantageous due to frequent overload of the system and susceptibility to interference from other communication systems. A communication system based on Earth orbit relay satellites has been developed in an effort to overcome these difficulties and provide continuous delivery of messages and related control information to a large number of users over a large geographical area. These satellite-based message communication systems are described, for example, in U.S. Patent No. 4,979,170, entitled "ALTERNING SEQUENTIAL HALF DUPLEX COMMUNICATION SYSTEM", which was assigned to the assignee of the present invention and which is mentioned in FIG. present as a reference. In addition to the dependence of systems to provide messaging capability to remote mobile units, certain industries also share the same 1283 / 97MX requirement for reliable location information of the mobile unit. One industry in particular in which this information is particularly desirable is the commercial trucking industry. In the commercial truck industry, an efficient and precise method of determining the position of the vehicle is dded. With easy access to vehicle location information, the main office of the trucking company gets several advantages. The trucking company can keep the client informed of the location, route and estimated time of arrival of the commercial cargo. The trucking company can also use the location information of the vehicle together with empirical data on the effectiveness of the establishment of the route, thus determining the trajectories and procedures of establishing the most economically efficient routes. In U.S. Patent No. 5,017,926, (the '926 patent), entitled DUAL SATELLITE NAVIGATION SYSTEM, published on May 21, 1991, which was assigned to the assignee of the present invention, a system is presented in which The communications terminal in each mobile unit is capable of determining the position, in addition to providing the messaging capability. The system of the '926 patent depends on the theory of trilateration, for example, for the determination of 1283 / 97MX position of the mobile vehicle. The trilateriación prescribes that if you know the relative position of three objects to each other and if you know the distance from each of these three objects to a fourth object, then you can determine the three-dimensional position of the fourth object within the framework of coordinates that describes the position of the first three objects. In the system of the '926 patent, the first two of the three known positions correspond to the positions or locations of a pair of satellites, while the third position is in the center of the earth. The use of satellite communication capability in each mobile terminal to provide vehicle position determination offers great advantages to commercial trucking and related package delivery industries. For example, this capability avoids the need for the truck drivers themselves, using telephones, to provide, to the main office of the trucking company, location reports regarding the position of their vehicle. These location reports are intermittent at best, because they only occur when the driver of the truck has reached a destination or a place of intermediate scale and requires that the conduit invest time in telephoning the 1283 / 97MX main office of the trucking company. This method of location reporting also leads to important inaccuracies. For example, truck drivers may report incorrect location information either by mistake or intentionally or report inaccurate estimates of arrival and departure times. In contrast, the use of satellite communication capability in each truck allows the main office of the trucking company to determine the location, identifying the longitude / latitude position of each truck at will, thereby avoiding the disadvantages associated with Intermittent location reports. For example, the "idle time" (that is, periods of production with zero revenues) of idle trucks is minimized since the communications needed to determine the location could be made while the trucks are en route. Also, inaccuracies in location reports are virtually eliminated because the trucking company's main office can determine the precise location of the truck almost instantaneously. The mobile communications terminal (MCT) of each vehicle in the fleet also allows the driver or occupant of the vehicle to communicate via satellite, at least in some form of message or limited recognition, with the 1283 / 97MX central control station, in response to received messages. A response message may avoid the need for additional communications or may indicate the need for an additional instruction or an updated message from the new information provided by the driver of a vehicle. The return link allows the driver to send messages via the mobile communication terminal, such as for example time verification and delivery information or, a report about the current position or other information about the condition or status. Unfortunately, the mobile communications terminal of each vehicle in the fleet is usually implemented so that it is inaccessible to the driver during the normal operation of the vehicle. This requires the driver to periodically stop the vehicle in order to consult the mobile communications terminal, via a keyboard or the like, about the content of the messages recently received in this way. This can reduce efficiency since the driver has to occasionally stop the vehicle only to check the information of the messages stored within the mobile communications terminal. More seriously, it is possible that drivers could put themselves and others at risk when trying to access the terminal. 1283 / 97MX mobile communications while simultaneously engaged in vehicle operation. In accordance with the foregoing, an objective of the present invention is to inform the drivers of the vehicle the content of the messages received by the mobile communication terminals, thus avoiding the need for intermittent access of the driver to the full text of said messages .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In summary, the present invention provides a method and apparatus for displaying or displaying to the driver of a vehicle an introductory portion or other portion of the messages received by the mobile communication terminal of the vehicle. The present invention can be implemented in a communication system that includes one or more vehicles in communication with a central control station. At least one of the vehicles is equipped with a mobile communication terminal for communication with the central control station. In a preferred implementation, the mobile communications terminal is coupled to an internal data link of a vehicle, to which a display or display device is also connected in view of the driver of the vehicle. 1283 / 97MX A first message packet is generated, at the central control station, to be used by the driver of the vehicle. The first message packet is then transmitted from the central control station and is received by the mobile communication terminal. In a preferred embodiment, an introductory portion or other portion of the first message packet is provided to the display or display device via the internal data link. The present invention allows, in this way and advantageously, that the driver of the vehicle is informed of the content of the incoming messages even without direct access to the mobile communications terminal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects and features of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description and the appended claims, when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which: Figure 1 represents an exemplary implementation of a mobile communications network; Figure 2 shows a block diagram representation of a mobile communications terminal (MCT) coupled to the electrical control system of a 1283 / 97MX exemplary vehicle of the fleet.

DESCRIPTION DETAT.T.ana? K THE PREFERRED MODALITIES The present invention provides a method and apparatus for displaying or displaying to the driver of a vehicle an introductory portion or other portion of the messages received by the mobile communication unit of the vehicle. The present invention can be implemented within a system in which a central control station is in communication with a fleet of vehicles. Each of the vehicles includes a mobile communication terminal for communication with the central control station. A first mobile communication terminal of the first vehicle is coupled to an internal data link of the first vehicle, thereby enabling the message information to be communicated to the driver of the first vehicle by means of a display or display device connected to the vehicle. internal data link. More particularly, a first message packet that is intended to be transported or sent to the driver of the first vehicle using the first mobile communication terminal is initially generated at the central control station. The message packet is then transmitted from the central control station 1283 / 97MX to the first mobile communications terminal. A portion of the first message packet is then sent to the display or display device over the internal data link. This allows the driver of a vehicle to be informed of the content of the messages received by the mobile communications terminal even when the driver is, in some other way, unable to directly access the terminal. In order to clarify the description of the invention, by way of background with reference to Figure 1, a plurality of radio communications network is described which facilitates the exchange of information between a base station and a vehicle fleet. Referring to Figure 1, the mobile communications network may comprise, for example, a conventional cellular communication system, designed to provide service between user vehicles within specified geographic areas or "cells". Alternatively, the present invention may be incorporated into a satellite communication system of the type capable of facilitating communication between one or more central control stations and a plurality of user vehicles distributed over a large geographical area. This satellite message communication system is described in, for example, the United States Patent 12B3 / 97MX No. 4,979,170, entitled ALTERNING SEQUENTIAL HALF DUPLEX COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, which was assigned to the assignee of the present invention and which is referred to herein as a reference. Referring now to Figure 1 in greater detail, an overview of a communications network 10 is provided within which the vehicles of fleet 12, 14 communicate with a central control station 18. In Figure 1, vehicles 12, 14 of the fleet each have a mobile communications terminal (MCT). The vehicles 12, 14 are representative of any of a variety of vehicles (e.g., cargo trucks) whose drivers or other occupants wish to obtain occasional or updated information, status or condition reports or messages, from a central control station 18. Although the communication network of Figure 1 depends on a communication link via satellite between the vehicles 12, 14 and the central control station 18, it is again observed that the teachings of the present invention are equally applicable to the communication systems mobile terrestrial or mobile radio communications, in which communication is established between a central facility and one or more mobile units. The mobile communications terminal (MCT) of each 1283 / 97MX fleet vehicle also allows the driver or occupant of the vehicle to communicate via satellite, in at least some form of message or limited acknowledgment, to the central control station, in response to received messages. A response message may avoid the need for additional communications or may indicate the need for an additional instruction or an updated message from new information provided by the driver of the vehicle. The return link allows the driver to send a message through the mobile communications terminal, such as time verification and delivery information, or a report about the current position or other status or condition information. Referring now in greater detail to the Figure 1, the messages of the mobile communications terminals of the vehicles 12, 14 are transmitted to the satellite 20 and retransmitted in this way to a central transmission terminal or facility 22, referred to as an Activity Center. The central terminal or Activity Center 22 can be placed in a location close to the central control station 18, allowing lower costs and local direct access to the transmission equipment for maintenance and improvement of the system. Alternatively, Central 22 is located in a 1283 / 97MX remote position most ideally suited for transmitting or receiving low-interference satellite ground. In this case, a telephone, optical or satellite communication link is used to establish the communication either directly between the Central 22 and the central control station 18 or, alternatively between the Central 22 and the central control station 18, by means of a network administration center (NMC) 24. When the message will take place not only between the vehicles 12, 14 and the central control station 18, but also between the vehicles 12, 14 and one or more stations of control 28 of the service provider, the administration center of the network 24 allows more efficient control over the priority, access, counting and transfer characteristics of the message data. Additional details of the communication equipment used in an exemplary implementation of the Central 22 and the network administration center 24 described in the aforementioned U.S. Patent No. 4,979,170. The information is generally sent over communication channels in discrete packets that vary in length from, for example, 4 to 256 characters. Each packet is generally segmented into information fields, such as the type of message, the length of the message and the checksum bits. 1283 / 97MX In addition, each message is usually preceded by a header or directory that includes an "individual" serial number that specifies a single mobile communications terminal, a "group" address that identifies a set of mobile communications terminals or a "call all" address that corresponds to all mobile communication terminals within a system. By providing these alternate addresses to which the mobile communications terminal can respond, it is possible to efficiently transfer single messages to the designated groups of the mobile communication terminals. A transceiver is used in each mobile communications terminal to receive and demodulate the downlink communication signals received from the satellite 20. The downlink signals are received by an antenna and transferred through a duplexer to a demodulator (not shown each of these) for demodulation. The demodulator employs elements known in the art to convert the frequency of the received communication signal to a lower IF frequency level and subsequently to a symbol frequency level, such as an encoded symbol stream (i.e., digital message). Referring now to Figure 2, a 1283 / 97MX block diagram representation of a mobile communications terminal (MCT) 50 coupled to the electric control system 60 of an exemplary vehicle of the fleet. The communication signal received and processed by the MCT 50 is normally transported to the driver of the vehicle, using a display or display unit 64, such as an LED, an LCD, a character display of electroluminescent type elements or download type. Alternatively, the message can be connected to other processing elements, such as a laptop, or it can be printed by a "hard copy" (printing) device, such as a small thermal printer. However, in both cases, the received message is recorded by the display or display unit 64 or another device, only after the driver of the vehicle issues a request by means of the keypad 68. Unfortunately, both the keypad 68 and the unit screen or display 64 of the mobile communications terminal are normally implemented so that they are inaccessible to the driver during normal operation of the vehicle. This requires the driver to periodically stop the vehicle in order to consult, through a keyboard or the like, the mobile communications terminal, to examine the content of the 1283 / 97MX messages recently received in this way. This can reduce efficiency, since the driver may be required to occasionally stop the vehicle only to review the message information stored within the mobile communications terminal. More seriously, it is possible that drivers may endanger themselves and others by entering access to the mobile communications terminal while simultaneously driving their vehicle. According to the invention, each vehicle in the fleet (for example, vehicles 12, 14) is configured with a display or display device in view of the driver of the vehicle. The display or display device and the mobile communications terminal are also connected to the internal data link of the vehicle, thereby allowing an introductory portion of each message received by the mobile communication terminal to be displayed to the driver for a period of time. predetermined time In this way, both security and efficiency are increased, avoiding the need for intermittent access by the driver to the full text of messages recently received and stored by the mobile communications terminal. Referring to Figure 2, connected to data link 92 of the vehicle is the terminal of 1283 / 97MX mobile communications (MCT) 50 and one or more electronic sub-systems of the vehicle (for example the motor control and braking subsystems). A display device 102 of the internal cabin, in view of the driver of the vehicle, is also connected to the internal data link 92. In a preferred embodiment, the physical structure of the data link 92 is specified by a well-known standard prescribed. by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), that is, SAE J1708. The display or display device 102 may be implemented using a supplementary electronic screen mounted within the vehicle cabin or, alternatively, may comprise an integrated electronic board instrumentation. As described below, a message transfer routine 104 within the mobile communication terminal 50, transfers a predefined portion of each message packet received by the MCT 50 to the display device 102, on the data link 92. In this way, the message transfer routine 104, together with the display or display device 102, allows the driver of the vehicle to be informed of the content of the incoming message information even when access is not available to the unit. of deployment 64 of the MCT nominally used for the display or display of the message. 1283 / 97MX The MCT 50 will generally include a messaging program 112 through which communication with the network administration center (NMC) 24 is maintained. In a preferred embodiment, the messages for the driver of the vehicle, received by the messaging program 112, are transferred to both message transfer routine 104 and handler unit 116 of the MCT. The deployment management unit 116 provides the complete text of the received message to the display unit 64 of the MCT, in a conventional manner. In accordance with the invention, an introductory portion of each received message is sectioned by the message transfer routine 104 and carried over the data link 92. This transport or sending may be effected in accordance with, for example, the message protocol for vehicle data links issued by the Society of Automotive Engineers (ie, SAE J1587). However, it will be understood that other protocols may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention. The information is usually transferred in accordance with the SAE standards referred to, using several predefined types of information packets, each of which is not larger than 21 bytee. One of the package types is designed to include information from ] 2T3 / 97MX message "formatted in free form". The SAE J1587 standard also provides for the transmission of very large free-form messages, to be supported by a single packet using a sequence of two or more packets. In an exemplary embodiment, the message transfer routine 104 will generally use one or more free-form packets to transfer an introductory portion of each received message to the display or display device 102. When the received message is in a textual format, the message packets are sent to the display device 102 which will carry a string of characters of predetermined length comprising the introductory portion of the text of the message. Associated with each packet of messages placed in data link 92, "free format" and in some other form, there is header information or message guidance including a numeric identifier corresponding to a vehicle subsystem connected to the data link . In accordance with the above, the display or display device 102 will also be assigned this numerical identifier so that the free format packets placed on the data link 92 can be retrieved by the display or display device 102. In In a preferred embodiment, only one of the free-form message packets specified by ] 283 / 97MX SAE J1587, to transfer an introductory portion of the message of up to 16 bytes. Alternatively, when more than one free-form packet is used to transfer an introductory portion of the message to the display or display device 102, the contents of each packet retrieved in succession can be stored within a buffer of the display device 102. In these cases, the message transfer routine 104 may initially emit a control message indicating that a sequence of free format packets will be used to transfer the introductory portion of the message. The SAE J1587 standard describes that each free-form message packet will include 21 bytes of information, the first of which identifies the source device (that is, the MCT). The second byte identifies that the packet constitutes a free-form and single-segment message packet. The third byte of each free-form packet specifies the type of device that the packet is intended to receive, which in the present system comprises a display or display device. In addition, the last byte of each free-form packet consists of a checksum byte used for error detection. It follows that 17 bytes of each 21-byte free-form packet is 1283 / 97MX are available to transfer the message information to the display or display device 102. In a preferred embodiment, the first byte of the 17-byte "body" of each free-form packet is used as a control byte to identify to the type of information that will be transported by the remaining 16 bytes inside the body of the package. For example, the control byte can specify that the other 16 bytes will include text that will be displayed or displayed by means of the display or display device 102. In another case, the control byte can indicate that the package body will be used to provide contrast control or other adjustment information of the display or deployment of the display or display device 102. The control byte or the following text bytes, which will be displayed or displayed as the introductory portion of the received message, which will be displayed or displayed by the display or display device 102, may indicate the nature, priority, urgency of the rest of the message. A particularity of the present invention is that the transfer of the message between the MCT 50 and the display or display device 102 can be effected using the existing communication equipment and not 1283 / 97MX requires intervention by the driver of the vehicle. In addition, when the display or display device comprises electronic instrumentation already incorporated within the vehicle dashboard, no additional display or display equipment is required. This electronic instrumentation of the board is increasingly predominant in freight vehicles. In an exemplary implementation, each introductory portion of the message is displayed or displayed to the driver of the vehicle for a predetermined period of time. Alternatively, the display or display device 92 may include a control board 120 that includes, for example, a suppression switch to clear the screen of the display or display device. This allows each introductory portion of the message to be displayed or displayed for the desired period of time by the driver of the vehicle. The above description of the preferred embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or make use of the present invention. The various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without the use of the inventive faculty. Of this 1283 / 97MX, it is not intended that the present invention be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but that it conforms to the broader scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein. 1283 / 97MX

Claims (13)

1. NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION Having described the present invention, it is considered as a novelty and, therefore, the content of the following CLAIMS is claimed as property; 1. In a system in which a central control station is in communication with a fleet of vehicles, each of the vehicles includes a mobile communications terminal for communication with the central control station, where a first communications terminal mobile of the first vehicle is coupled to an internal data link of the first vehicle, a method of communicating message information to the driver of the first vehicle by means of a display or display device connected to the internal data link, the method comprising the steps of: generating, in the central control station, a first message that will be seen by the driver of the first vehicle; transmitting the first message from the central control station to the first mobile communications terminal; and sending a portion of the first message to the display or display device through the internal data link. 1283 / 97MX
2. 2. The method according to claim 1, further including the step of displaying or displaying the portion of the first message, for observation by the driver, during a predetermined interval, using the display or display device.
3. 3. In a system in which a central control station is in communication with a fleet of vehicles, each of the vehicles includes a mobile communication terminal for communication with the central control station, where a first communications terminal mobile of the first vehicle is coupled with an internal data link of the first vehicle; a system for communicating message information to the driver of the first vehicle, the system comprising: a display or display device connected to the internal data link; a controller for generating, at the central control station, a first message for use by the driver of the first vehicle; a transmitter of the central control station for transmitting the first message from the central control station to the first mobile communication terminal; and a message transfer routine, disposed within the first communications terminal 1283 / 97MX mobile, to send a portion of the first message to the display or display device via the internal data link. The system according to claim 3, wherein the display or display device includes a mechanism for displaying or displaying the portion of the first message during a predetermined interval. The system according to claim 3, wherein the display or display device includes a control board that allows the display device to be erased after displaying or displaying the portion of the first message for the desired period of time. The system according to claim 4, wherein the first message includes a string of characters and, wherein the portion of the first message consists of a predetermined number of characters comprising an introductory portion of the character string. The system according to claim 3, wherein the message transfer routine transfers the introductory portion of the first message into one or more message packets and places one or more message packets in the internal data link. 8. A system for displaying or displaying messages to display messages within a vehicle, which 1283 / 97MX comprises: a display or display means for providing a visual indication of the message data; and a message transfer means for receiving message data and responding thereto to provide only a limited portion of the message data to the display or display means. 9. A message display or display system according to claim 8, wherein the vehicle contains a main data distribution bar for communicating the message data within the vehicle, the message transfer means and the display or display means are coupled to the main data distribution bar, and the medium of message transfer couples the limited portion of the message data with the display or display means in the main data distribution bar. The message display or display system according to claim 8, further comprising: a communication means for transmitting the message data to a communication station and receiving the message data from the same; a means of deployment or display Additional J283 / 97MX, coupled to the communications medium and the message transfer medium, to display or display the message data; and an operator interface means, coupled with the message transfer means, the message transfer means responds to an operator input by means of an operator input means, to allow a full display of the message data by means of the of deployment or additional exhibition. 11. A method for displaying messages within a vehicle having a display or display device for providing visual indication of the message data, comprising the steps of: receiving message data within the vehicle; attach only a limited portion of the message data to the display or display device; and displaying or displaying the limited portion of the message data to the deployment device. The method according to claim 11, wherein the vehicle contains a main data distribution bar for communication of the message data within the vehicle, the method further comprising the 1283 / 97MX step of attaching the limited portion of the message data to the display or display device, in the main data distribution bar. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of: transmitting message data to the communication station and receiving message data therefrom, via a communication transceiver; displaying or displaying on an additional display or display device the message data received from the communication station, through the communication transceiver; and allowing, in response to an entry originated by the operator, a full display or display of the message data in the medium of display or additional display. 1283 / 97MX SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A method and apparatus for displaying or displaying the driver of a vehicle (12, 14), an introductory portion or other portion of the messages received by a mobile communication terminal (50) of the vehicle. The method of displaying or displaying messages can be implemented in a system that includes one or more vehicles (12, 14) in communication with a central control station (18). At least one of the vehicles (12, 14) is equipped with a mobile communication terminal (50) for communication with the central control station (18). In a preferred implementation, the mobile communications terminal (50) is coupled with an internal data link (92) of the vehicle, to which a display or display device (102) is also connected for observation by the vehicle driver. In the central control station (18) a first message packet is generated, for use by the driver of the vehicle. The first message packet is then transmitted from the central control station (18) and is received by the mobile communication terminal (50). In a preferred embodiment, an introductory portion or other portion of the first message packet is provided to the display or display device (102) via the internal data link (92). This allows, in form 1283 / 97MX advantageous, that the driver of the vehicle is informed of the content of the incoming messages, even without direct access to the mobile communications terminal (50). 1283 / 97MX