Patent ID: 7589643

Claim:
A method for monitoring vehicle speed, the method comprising: receiving a current speed of a vehicle; receiving a current speed limit associated with a current location of the vehicle; calculating a current speed range by comparing the current speed of the vehicle to the current speed limit; accessing operator alert preferences associated with an operator of the vehicle, wherein the operator alert preferences include a caution range and a warning range; and communicating an alert to the operator of the vehicle via an output device that includes a haptic device, the alert responsive to the current speed range and to the operator alert preferences, wherein: the alert includes one or more caution attributes when the current speed range of the vehicle is within the caution range; the alert includes one or more warning attributes when the current speed range of the vehicle is within the warning range; and the alert includes one or more at speed attributes when the current speed range of the vehicle is not within the caution range or the warning range; and wherein the communicating includes generating a haptic alert signal to activate at least one of a vibration and a poke of the haptic device.