Base station system and method for monitoring travel of mobile vehicles and communicating notification messages
DC
First Claim
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1. A system for notifying users of impending arrivals of vehicles at particular locations, comprising:
- memory storing a first time value, said first time value indicating when a user should be notified of an impending arrival of a vehicle;
a clock configured to produce a second time value;
a route handler configured to receive a status message from said vehicle and to transmit an update request when said vehicle is off schedule based on said status message;
a schedule monitor configured to compare said first time value to said second time value and to produce and transmit a notification request based on a comparison of said time values, said schedule monitor further configured to update said first time value in response to said update request; and
a communication handler configured to receive said notification request and to transmit a notification message to said user in response to said notification request, said communication handler further configured to store said notification request and to determine a number of notification requests stored by said communication handler, said communication handler further configured to compare said number of notification requests to a threshold number and to cause reallocation of notification requests between said communication handler and at least one other communication handler based on a comparison of said number of notification requests to said threshold number.
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Abstract
A vehicle monitoring and notification system includes a route handler, a schedule monitor, and a communication handler. The schedule monitor determines when users should receive notification messages based on data that indicates when vehicles are expected to arrive at certain locations. The route handler communicates with vehicle control units on board vehicles to determine whether and how much any of the vehicles are off schedule. If any of the vehicles are off schedule, the route handler updates the data monitored by the schedule monitor to change when the schedule monitor determines that notification messages should be received by the users. Once the schedule monitor determines that a user should receive a notification message, the schedule monitor transmits a notification request to the communication handler. The communication handler then establishes communication with a communication device associated with the user and transmits a notification message to the user. Therefore, the user is warned of an impending arrival of a vehicle at a particular location.
241 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A system for notifying users of impending arrivals of vehicles at particular locations, comprising:
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memory storing a first time value, said first time value indicating when a user should be notified of an impending arrival of a vehicle;
a clock configured to produce a second time value;
a route handler configured to receive a status message from said vehicle and to transmit an update request when said vehicle is off schedule based on said status message;
a schedule monitor configured to compare said first time value to said second time value and to produce and transmit a notification request based on a comparison of said time values, said schedule monitor further configured to update said first time value in response to said update request; and
a communication handler configured to receive said notification request and to transmit a notification message to said user in response to said notification request, said communication handler further configured to store said notification request and to determine a number of notification requests stored by said communication handler, said communication handler further configured to compare said number of notification requests to a threshold number and to cause reallocation of notification requests between said communication handler and at least one other communication handler based on a comparison of said number of notification requests to said threshold number. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
a database storing route information associated with a plurality of vehicles, said route information including said first time value, wherein said route handler is configured to determine whether said first time value is associated with a notification event that is expected to occur within a particular time period and to transmit said first time value to said schedule monitor in response to a determination that said notification event associated with said first time value is expected to occur within said particular time period.
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7. The system of claim 1, wherein said route handler is further configured to produce a list of notification events that are expected to occur within a particular time period, said route handler further configured to include said first time value in said list in response to a determination that said first time value is associated with a notification event that is expected to occur within said particular time period, said schedule monitor further configured to analyze said list to determine whether any notification requests should be transmitted to said communication handler.
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8. The system of claim 1, wherein said schedule monitor is implemented within a first computer system and said communication handler is implemented within a second computer system.
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9. A system for notifying users of impending arrivals of vehicles at particular locations, comprising:
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a database storing data associated with a plurality of vehicles;
a route handler configured to analyze said data and to select portions of said data that are associated with notification events expected to occur during a particular time period;
a schedule monitor configured to analyze said selected portions of said data during said particular time period and to disregard other portions of said data during said particular time period, said schedule monitor further configured to determine when at least one of said notification events should occur based on said selected portions of said data and to transmit a notification request in response to a determination by said schedule monitor that said at least one notification event should occur; and
a communication handler configured to receive said notification request and to transmit a notification message in response to said notification request. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A system for notifying users of impending arrivals of vehicles at particular locations, comprising:
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memory storing data indicating a proximity of at least one vehicle to at least one location;
a route handler configured to receive status messages and to update said data based on said status messages;
a schedule monitor configured to monitor said data and to transmit notification requests in response to determinations by said schedule monitor that said at least one vehicle is within a predefined proximity of at least one location; and
a plurality of communication handlers configured to respectively receive said notification requests and to transmit notification messages in response to said notification requests, wherein said schedule monitor is further configured to determine a number of notification requests transmitted to one of said communication handlers within a first particular time period and to allocate said notification requests between said communication handlers based on said number. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A method for notifying users of impending arrivals of vehicles at particular locations, comprising the steps of:
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storing a first time value, said first time value indicating when a user should be notified of an impending arrival of a vehicle;
receiving a second time value;
receiving a status message transmitted from said vehicle;
updating said first time value based on said status message;
comparing said first time value to said second time value;
transmitting a notification request to a communication handler based on said comparing said first time value step;
determining a number of notification requests stored by a communication handler;
comparing said number of notification requests to a threshold number;
reallocating said notification request between said communication handlers based on said comparing said number of notification requests step; and
transmitting a notification message to said user in response to said notification request. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
determining whether said first time value indicates a time within a particular time period, said particular time period including a time indicated by said second time value; and
performing said comparing said first time value step during said particular time period in response to a determination in said determining step that said first time value indicates a time within said particular time period.
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18. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:
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creating a list of notification events that are expected to occur within a particular time period;
including said first time value in said list in response to a determination that said first time value is associated with a notification event that is expected to occur within said particular time period; and
monitoring said list during said particular time period, said monitoring step including said comparing said first time value step.
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19. A method for notifying users of impending arrivals of vehicles at particular locations, comprising the steps of:
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storing data associated with a plurality of vehicles;
selecting portions of said data that are associated with notification events expected to occur during a particular time period;
analyzing said selected portions of said data during said particular time period;
disregarding other portions of said data during said particular time period;
determining when at least one of said notification events should occur based on said analyzing step; and
transmitting a notification message in response to said determining step.
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20. A method for notifying users of impending arrivals of vehicles at particular locations, comprising the steps of:
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storing data associated with at least one vehicle;
receiving at least one status message from said one vehicle;
updating said data based on said one status message;
analyzing said data;
determining when to notify a user of an impending arrival of said one vehicle at a particular location based on said analyzing step;
transmitting a notification request based on said determining step; and
allocating said notification request to a communication handler based on a number of notification requests transmitted to said communication handler during a first particular time period. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
storing said notification request in said communication handler;
determining a number of notification requests stored in said communication handler;
comparing said number of notification requests to a threshold number;
transmitting said notification request to another handler based on said comparing step; and
transmitting a notification message from said other communication handler in response to said notification request, said notification message indicating said impending arrival of said one vehicles.
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23. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of selecting said data in response to a determination that said data is associated with notification events that are expected to occur during a second particular time period.
Specification
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Litigation Data
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Current AssigneeShipping & Transit, LLC
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Original AssigneeGlobal Research Systems, Inc.
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InventorsJones, Martin Kelly
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Primary Examiner(s)Lee, Benjamin C.
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Application NumberUS09/516,577Time in Patent Office622 DaysField of Search340/994, 340/982, 340/989, 340/990, 340/991, 340/995, 340/906, 340/907, 340/539, 340/993, 701/204, 701/205, 701/206, 701/207, 701/208, 701/302US Class Current340/994CPC Class CodesG08G 1/123 indicating the position of ...G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indi...G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of ...
