Patent Publication Number: US-2017361765-A1

Title: Navigation signaling system and method thereof

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure generally relates to a navigation signaling system and method thereof for communicating navigation information of a personal transportation device; particularly, the present disclosure relates to a navigation signaling system and method thereof for communicating navigational direction and distance to a turn event along a navigation course. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     As traffic congestion and rising pollution have become a concern for society, personal mobility vehicles have steadily gained attention from consumers as a legitimate alternative transportation method since personal mobility vehicles are light, compact, and easy to navigate through traffic However, there is greater risk to injury when operating personal mobility vehicles since personal mobility vehicles are more susceptible to road conditions and users may inadvertently fall off the personal mobility vehicles due to those susceptible circumstances, especially when users are trying to read traditional electronic navigation maps while riding. Accordingly, there is a need to simplify traditional navigation systems in order to decrease information overload that may affect operators&#39; ability to steer their personal mobility vehicles. 
     SUMMARY 
     It is an objective of the present disclosure to provide a navigation signaling system and method thereof for communicating turn direction and distance to turn event along a navigation course. 
     It is another objective of the present disclosure to provide a navigation signaling system and method thereof for decreasing information display overload. 
     According to one aspect of the invention, a navigation signaling system for communicating navigation information of a personal transportation device is provided. The navigation signaling system includes a computer and a navigation system. The computer has at least one display device. The navigation system is coupled to the computer and provides a current position and a course data of the personal transportation device. The computer drives the signal display device to display a directional signal flashing in increasing frequency as a function of proximity of the current position to a turn event in the course data. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, a method for guiding a user on a personal transportation device along a course route in a course data is provided. The method includes: providing, with a navigation system, a current position of the personal transportation device to a computer having at least one signal display device; generating, with the computer, a direction-signal driving signal according to the current position to a turn event in the course route; driving the at least one signal display device with the direction-signal driving signal to flash with increasing frequency as a function of proximity of the current position to the turn event. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a view of an embodiment of the navigation signaling system of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an embodiment of a flowchart of the method of present invention; 
         FIG. 3A  is an embodiment of a course route of a course data 
         FIG. 3B  is a view of an embodiment approaching a turn event; 
         FIG. 4  is an embodiment of the signaling frequency as a function of distance to turn event; 
         FIG. 5A  is an embodiment of the navigation signaling system; and 
         FIG. 5B  is another embodiment of the navigation signaling system. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and systems for supporting a navigation signaling system. In the following detailed description, references are made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments or examples. These embodiments are only illustrative of the scope of the present invention, and should not be construed as a restriction on the present invention. Referring now the drawings, in which like numerals represent like elements through the several figures, aspects of the present invention and the exemplary operating environment will be described. 
     The present disclosure provides a navigation signaling system and method thereof. Preferably, the navigation signaling system and method may be applicable to motorized or non-motorized personal transportation devices or vehicles, including (but not limited to) two to four wheeled personal vehicles such as bikes, e-bikes, segway, trikes, scooters, skateboards, rocket-skates, motorcycles, All-Terrain vehicles (ATV), and other related personal transportation devices. 
       FIG. 1  is an embodiment of the navigation signaling system of the present invention for communicating navigation information. The navigation signaling system includes a computer  110  and a navigation system  120 , wherein the navigation system  120  is coupled to the computer  110  on a personal transportation device or vehicle  100 . 
     In the present embodiment, the personal vehicle  100  is shown as a scooter; however, the personal vehicle  100  is not restricted or limited to being a scooter. In other different embodiments, the personal vehicle  100  may be a motorized or non-motorized transportation device. For instance, the personal vehicle  100  may be a motorcycle, bicycle, motorized longboards or skateboards, or any other related personal or compact transportation vehicle. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the computer  110  and the navigation system  120  are disposed on the personal vehicle  100 . For instance, the computer  110  may be disposed directly on the personal vehicle  100 , while the navigation system  120  may be carried by an user  150  on the personal vehicle  100 . In the present embodiment, the computer  110  and the navigation system  120  are disposed in approximately the same area on the personal vehicle  100  in order to decrease the amount of wiring connections needed between them, which in turn allows weight savings to be accomplished. In one embodiment, the computer  110  and the navigation system  120  may be separate units of hardware that are connected through wire or wireless means, such as through Bluetooth technology or WiFi communication; however, in other different embodiments, the computer  110  and the navigation system  120  are formed together in the same unit hardware. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , in the present embodiment, the computer  110  and/or the navigation system  120  may be disposed on the handlebar  130  of the personal vehicle  100 . In the present embodiment, the computer  110  may refer to a hardware that includes a data processor, such as a central processing unit. The computer  110  has at least one signal display device, wherein the signal display device may be any form of turn signal indicator, such as a display that indicates a turn signal, or actual turn signal indicator lights that light up to signal a turn status. In the present embodiment, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the signal display device is composed of a left-turn indicator SL and a right-turn indicator SR, wherein these two indicators are indicator lights that are coupled to the computer  110 . The computer  110  can drive or control these two indicators to flash or light up. 
     In the present embodiment, the navigation system  120  may refer to a hardware that can determine the location of the personal vehicle  100  in relation to a course data, wherein the course data represents information pertaining to the road conditions between the current position of the personal vehicle  100  and a target destination or position. For instance, if a user would like to travel from a point A to a point E, the course data would be the road map encompassing point A to point E that includes a course route from point A to point E. 
     In the present embodiment, the navigation system  120  may have global positioning system (GPS) capabilities to retrieve the current position of the personal vehicle  100  to provide to the computer  110 . In other different embodiments, the navigation system  120  may generate the current position based on WiFi positioning system (WPS) to provide to the computer  110 . In addition, in one embodiment, the navigation system  120  may not physically be connected to the computer  110  or the personal vehicle  100 . For instance, the navigation system  120  may be included within a mobile cellphone  200  carried by a user  150 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a flowchart of an embodiment of the method of communicating navigation events. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the method includes steps  510  to  530 , of which will be described as following: 
     Step  510  includes providing the current position of the personal vehicle  100  to the computer  110 . In the present embodiment, the navigation system  120  will first retrieve the current position of the personal vehicle  100  via GPS or WPS. In one embodiment, the navigation system  120  may be realized through a handheld device, such as the mobile cellphone  200  illustrated in  FIG. 1 . However, in other different embodiments, the handheld device may be a fitness tracker or fitness watch having GPS or WPS capabilities. 
     In one embodiment, the user  150  may enter a target position or destination that the user  150  would like to travel to into the navigation system  120  through the handheld device, wherein the navigation system  120  will then generate a course data that includes a road map and course route that shows the current position to the target position. For instance, as illustrated in  FIG. 3A , the course data  300  may include a road map with the navigation course route from positions A to position E, wherein position A is the current position of the personal vehicle  100  that the user  150  is riding or standing on, and position E is the target position or destination that the user  150  would like to reach. 
     Step  520  includes generating a direction-signal driving signal according to the current position in relation to a turn event in the course route.  FIG. 3B  is an embodiment of the user  150  approaching an intersection in the road on the personal vehicle  100 . As illustrated in  FIGS. 3A and 3B , when the user  150  approaches an intersection where a turn event occurs, for instance turn event B, the navigation system  120  will constantly update the computer  110  on the current position A of the user  150  in relation to the turn event B. In other words, by determining the relationship between the current position A in relation to the turn event B, the computer  110  can determine the distance d to the turn event B in real time. In the present embodiment, when the distance d to the turn event reaches a certain distance, for instance 14 meters, the computer  110  will start to generate the direction-signal driving signal. 
     Step  530  includes driving the signal display device  115  with the direction-signal driving signal. In the present embodiment, the direction-signal driving signal is an electronic signal generated by the computer  110  to drive the signal display device  115 . For example, when the user  150  approaches the intersection of the event B and reaches the exemplary distance of 14 meters to the turn event B, based on the course data  300  and the course route of  FIG. 3A , the computer  110  can generate the direction-signal driving signal to drive the right-turn signal (indicator) SR of the signal display device  115  of  FIGS. 1 and 3B  to light up. In this manner, when the right-turn signal SR turns on, the user  150  would intuitively understand that a right turn maneuver is approaching. 
       FIG. 4  is an embodiment of the frequency of signal flashes as a function of distance or proximity to the turn event. As shown in  FIGS. 3B and 4 , when the user  150  approaches the turn event B and reaches an exemplarily distance d of 14 meters to the turn event B, the computer  110  will drive the right-turn signal (indicator) SR of the signal display device  115  with the direction-signal driving signal to flash or light up at a frequency of twice per second. As the distance d is shortened as the user  150  approaches closer to the turn event B, the computer  110  will modulate or adjust the direction-signal driving signal to drive the signal display device  115  to flash or light up at an increasing rate. In other words, the closer the user  150  approaches the event B on the personal vehicle  100 , the shorter the distance d will be and the frequency of the right-turn signal SR lighting up or flashing will increase. In this manner, the user  150  would be able to intuitively judge the distance to the turn event through the increasing frequency of flashing by the signal display device  115 . In addition, in one embodiment, when the user  150  has actually reached the turn event B, the right-turn signal SR would be fully turned on and stop flashing. This would indicate to the user  150  that the user  150  has reached the turn event B position and should start to execute the turn maneuver. In should be noted that the numerical figures used for the frequency of flashes and the distance d are only given to exemplarily describe embodiments of the present invention. The rate and duration at which the turn-signals increasingly flash as the personal vehicle  100  approaches a turn event can be adjusted. 
       FIGS. 5A and 5B  are embodiments of the signal display device  115 . As illustrated in  FIG. 5A , the signal display device  115  may be installed on a stem  135  connected to the handlebar  130 . The signal display device  115  may further include a display or screen  132 , wherein directional signals such as the right-turn signal SR may be displayed. For instance, in the above example where the personal vehicle is approaching the turn event B, the computer  110  can drive the signal display device  115  to display or start flashing the right-turn signal SR on the display  132 . 
       FIG. 5B  is another embodiment of  FIG. 5A , wherein the signal display device  115  is directly integrated into the handlebar  130 , wherein the handlebar  130  can be formed from a transparent material that is conducive to light transmission, and the light source of the left-turn signal SL and the right-turn signal SR are integrated in the stem  135  and lights into the handlebar  130 . In this manner, when the computer  110  drives the signal display device  115 , the signal display device  115  can light up the entire left hand side or right hand side of the handlebar  130 . 
     In one embodiment, the computer  110  and the signal display device  115  may be detachable from the personal transportation device or vehicle  100 . In other words, the navigation signaling system  100  can also be sold in stores as an after-market accessory for any non-electric transportation vehicles. For instance, the navigation signaling system  100  may be purchased off the shelf in stores and attached to any personal transportation device, such as having the right-turn signal SR and left-turn signal SL previously mentioned installed on a skateboard and having the navigation signaling system  100  indicating to users of upcoming turn events with the right-turn signal SR or left-turn signal SL. 
     Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described herein, the above description is merely illustrative. Further modification of the invention herein disclosed will occur to those skilled in the respective arts and all such modifications are deemed to be within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.