Patent Document

BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present disclosure relates to a global position system (GPS) device for displaying traffic conditions and method thereof. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    As more and more cars are on the road, traffic jams become a serious problem. It is not easy for drivers to keep track of the traffic around them, especially during turning maneuvers. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a GPS device for displaying traffic conditions and method thereof to help the driver keep better track of traffic conditions. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the GPS device for displaying traffic conditions. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a hardware infrastructure of a GPS system, which includes a GPS device, for displaying traffic conditions in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing main function modules of a central processing unit (CPU) of the GPS device for displaying traffic conditions of  FIG. 1 , in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart of a method for displaying traffic conditions implemented by the system of  FIG. 1 , in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       [0009]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , the GPS system for displaying traffic conditions typically includes at least four turn signal lamps  16 , at least one video device  17 , and a GPS device  18 . 
         [0010]    Each of the turn signal lamps  16  is disposed at an appropriate position of the vehicle. For example, two turn signal lamps  16  are arranged on a left side of the vehicle, and two turn signal lamps  16  are arranged on a right side of the vehicle. In addition, when the vehicle turns left, the left turn signal lamps  16  turn on; when the vehicle turns right, the right turn signal lamps  16  turn on. After finishing a turn, the vehicle turns off the corresponding turn signal lamps  16 . 
         [0011]    The video device  17  is mounted and aimed to give a view of traffic conditions in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle. For example, when the vehicle begins to turn at a current location, the video device  17  turns on to provide a live feed of the immediate area around the vehicle to the GPS device  18 . When the vehicle finishes a turn, the video device  17  turns off. The video device  17  may be any number of cameras needed to provide clear views for the driver. For example, a camera may be arranged on the front of the vehicle, another on the rear of the vehicle, and yet another on the top of the vehicle. 
         [0012]    The GPS device  18  includes a central processing unit (CPU)  10 , a GPS wireless communications unit  11 , an input unit  12 , a display unit  13 , a storage unit  14 , and a communications unit  15 . 
         [0013]    The GPS wireless communications unit  11  is configured to receive GPS satellite navigation signals in real time, and transmit the navigation signals to the CPU  10 . The input unit  12  is configured to generate instructions in response to user operations. The display unit  13  is configured to display navigation information or live views from the video device  17 . The display unit  13  is connected to the GPS device  18  and positioned where a driver may safely view it before executing a turn. The video device  17  sends a live feed to the display unit  13  so that a driver may easily determine traffic conditions in the immediate vicinity to judge when it is safe to turn and to know if he must take emergency action during a turn to avoid an accident. The navigation information includes, but is not limited to, the current vehicle location and the best route information. The storage unit  14  is configured to store data generated by the CPU  10 . The communications unit  15  is configured to transmit communication data between the GPS device  18  and external devices of the GPS device  18 . The communications unit  15  may be a wireless communications unit, such as a BLUETOOTH device, and may further be a wired communications unit, such as that based on RS232 standard. 
         [0014]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , the CPU  10  includes a GPS locating module  101 , a route planning module  102 , a turn determining module  103 , a control signal generating module  104 , a display control module  105 , and a signal receiving module  106 . 
         [0015]    The GPS locating module  101  is configured to receive the navigation signals from the GPS wireless communications unit  11 , and determine a current location of the vehicle according to the navigation signals. The route planning module  102  is configured to obtain a best route according to the current location of the vehicle and the user input operations from the input unit  12 . User input operations may not only include destination information, but also include preferred route selection means. 
         [0016]    The turn determining module  103  is configured to determine turn information for each turning maneuver that should occur along the best route. The turn information includes, but is not limited to, a turning direction, a turn start position, and a turn end position. The turn determining module  103  determines the turn information in two modes. For example, in a first mode, the turn determining module  103  determines all of the turn information for each anticipated turning maneuver along the best route, numbers each turning maneuver, and saves the determined turn information for each turning maneuver in the storage unit  14 . In a second mode, the turn determining module  103  obtains next turn information when the vehicle finishes a turn, and saves the next turn information to the storage unit  14 . In the exemplary embodiment, the turn start position is defined as a location having a predetermined distance from the turn point, and the turn end position is defined as another location which has another predetermined distance away from the turn point. 
         [0017]    In an exemplary embodiment, when it is time for vehicle using the GPS device to begin a turning maneuver, the device automatically turns on a video device  17  and the appropriate turn signal lamps  16 , and displays the video feed provided by the video device  17 . When the turn is completed, the device turns off the video device  17  and the turn signal lamps  16 . The turn information may further be provided for anticipated lane changes. For example, the vehicle coming out of a right turn needs to move to a left turn lane for an impending left turn, the GPS device  18  generates and transmits a left turn control signal to the video device  17 , the GPS device  18  further generates and transmits another left turn control signal to the video device  17  after lane change is completed. In this way, a driver is supplied needed views of traffic for a series of maneuvers such as a right turn, left lane change, and a left turn. In another exemplary embodiment, the turn information further includes backup information. For example, the GPS device  18  turns on the video device  17  having a view to the rear of the vehicle when the vehicle has been shifted into reverse, then the GPS device  18  turns off the video device  17  when the vehicle is shifted from reverse. 
         [0018]    The GPS locating module  101  periodically compares the current location of the vehicle with the turn start position. When the vehicle is at the turn start position, the control signal generating module  104  sends either a left or a right turn start signal to the communications unit  15 , the communications unit  15  transmits the signal to control the appropriate video device  17  and turn signal lamps  16  to turn on. The video device  17  then turns on to provide a live feed to the signal receiving module  106 . The signal receiving module  106  is configured to send the received live feed to the display control module  105 . The display control module  105  automatically switches the display unit  13  to display the live feed when it is received and switches back when the live feed ends. 
         [0019]    When the current location of the vehicle is the turn end position, the control signal generating module  104  generates a left or a right turn control signal. The video device  17  and turn signal lamps  16  turn off in response to the turn control signal. 
         [0020]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart of displaying traffic conditions method implemented by the system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. In step  20 , the GPS locating module  101  determines current location of the vehicle, and the route planning module  102  obtains a best route. 
         [0021]    In step  21 , the turn determining module  103  determines turn information according to the best route, and saves the turn information to the storage unit  14 . 
         [0022]    In step  22 , the display control module  105  controls the display unit  13  to display the navigation information. 
         [0023]    In step  23 , the route planning module  102  periodically compares the current location of the vehicle with the destination information to determine whether the current location is the destination. When the current location is the destination, the procedure is finished. 
         [0024]    In step  24 , when the current location isn&#39;t the destination, the GPS locating module  101  periodically compares the current location of the vehicle with turn start position to determine whether the vehicle arrives at the turn start position. When the current location isn&#39;t the turn start position, the procedure repeats step  24 . 
         [0025]    In step  25 , when the current location is the turn start position, the control signal generating module  104  generates and sends a left or a right signal to a video device  17  and turn signal lamps  16  in corresponding turning direction. 
         [0026]    In step  26 , the video device  17  and the turn signal lamps  16  in the corresponding turning direction turn on in response to the control signals. 
         [0027]    In step  27 , the video device  17  provides video feed to the signal receiving module  106 . 
         [0028]    In step  28 , the display control module  105  switches the display unit  13  to display the live feed from the signal receiving module  106 . 
         [0029]    In step  29 , the GPS locating module  101  periodically compares with the current location with the turn end position to determine whether the vehicle arrives at the turn end position. When the vehicle doesn&#39;t arrive, the procedure repeats step  29 . 
         [0030]    In step  30 , when the current location is the turn end position, the control signal generating module  104  generates and sends a left or a right turn control signal to the appropriate video device  17  and turn signal lamps  16 . The video device  17  and turn signal lamps  16  turn off in response to the turn control signal. 
         [0031]    In step  31 , the display control module  105  switches back to display the navigation information which is determined by the GPS locating module  101  and the route planning module  102 . 
         [0032]    It is believed that the present embodiments and their advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferred or exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

Technology Category: 3