Radar Warning Receiver with Position and Velocity Sensitive Functions

Abstract

A GPS enabled radar detector dynamically handles radar sources based upon previously-stored geographically-referenced information on such sources and data from the GPS receiver. The detector includes technology for determining the location of the detector, and comparing this location to the locations of known stationary sources, to improve the handling of such detections. The detector may ignore detections received in an area known to contain a stationary source, or may only ignore specific frequencies or may handle frequencies differently based upon historic trends of spurious police radar signals at each frequency. Notification of the driver will take on a variety of forms depending on the stored information, current operating modes, and vehicle speed.

1 . A police activity transponder comprising: 
 a receiver section receiving signals generated in the context of law enforcement activity, and    a warning section responding to the receiver section and providing a warning if a received signal correlates to a law enforcement signal, the warning produced in response to a law enforcement signal varying in relation to vehicle speed data;    the transponder being responsive to vehicle speed data derived from a position determining circuit.    
     
     
         2 . The police activity transponder of  claim 1  wherein the receiver section receives electromagnetic radar signals in a radar band.  
     
     
         3 . The police activity transponder of  claim 1  wherein the receiver section receives signals carried in the visible or infrared spectrum.  
     
     
         4 . The police activity transponder of  claim 1  further comprising an interface reading vehicle speed data from a host vehicle.  
     
     
         5 . The police activity transponder of  claim 4  wherein the interface is an OBDII compliant interface.  
     
     
         6 . The police activity transponder of  claim 4  wherein the interface is an IVBD compliant interface.  
     
     
         7 . The police activity transponder of  claim 1  further comprising an interface reading the vehicle speed data from a position determining circuit in a host vehicle.  
     
     
         8 . The police activity transponder of  claim 7  wherein the interface is an OBDII compliant interface.  
     
     
         9 . The police activity transponder of  claim 7  wherein the interface is an IVBD compliant interface.  
     
     
         10 . The police activity transponder of  claim 1  wherein the warning section is a visible display that makes visible warnings.  
     
     
         11 . The police activity transponder of  claim 1  wherein the warning section is an audio speaker that makes audible warnings.  
     
     
         12 . The police activity transponder of  claim 1  further comprising a position determining circuit.  
     
     
         13 . A police activity transponder comprising: 
 a receiver section receiving signals generated in the context of law enforcement activity; and    a warning section responding to the receiver section and providing a warning if a received signal correlates to a law enforcement signal, the warning delivered by the warning section being suppressed in relation to vehicle speed data;    the transponder being responsive to vehicle speed data derived from a position determining circuit.    
     
     
         14 . The police activity transponder of  claim 13  wherein the receiver section receives electromagnetic radar signals in a radar band.  
     
     
         15 . The police activity transponder of  claim 13  wherein the receiver section receives signals carried in the visible or infrared spectrum.  
     
     
         16 . The police activity transponder of  claim 13  further comprising an interface reading vehicle speed data from a host vehicle.  
     
     
         17 . The police activity transponder of  claim 16  wherein the interface is an OBDII compliant interface.  
     
     
         18 . The police activity transponder of  claim 16  wherein the interface is an IVBD compliant interface.  
     
     
         19 . The police activity transponder of  claim 13  further comprising an interface reading the vehicle speed data from a position determining circuit in a host vehicle.  
     
     
         20 . The police activity transponder of  claim 19  wherein the interface is an OBDII compliant interface.  
     
     
         21 . The police activity transponder of  claim 19  wherein the interface is an IVBD compliant interface.  
     
     
         22 . The police activity transponder of  claim 13  wherein the warning section is a visible display that makes visible warnings.  
     
     
         23 . The police activity transponder of  claim 13  wherein the warning section is an audio speaker that makes audible warnings.  
     
     
         24 . The police activity transponder of  claim 13  further comprising a position determining circuit.  
     
     
         25 . A police warning receiver comprising: 
 a receiver section adapted to receive electromagnetic signals indicative of police activity;    an alert section responsive to the receiver section and adapted to provide an alert if a received electromagnetic signal correlates to a police signal;    a display for displaying information to a user;    a position determining circuit generating a location signal; and    storage for information regarding rejectable electromagnetic signals not related to police activity at specific geographic locations,    wherein information presented on said display includes information relating to rejectable electromagnetic signals.    
     
     
         26 . The police warning receiver of  claim 25 , wherein said electromagnetic signals include radar signals in a radar band.  
     
     
         27 . The police warning receiver of  claim 25 , wherein said electromagnetic signals are carried in the visible or infrared spectrum.  
     
     
         28 . The police warning receiver of  claim 25 , wherein the alert section correlates information relating to a prior encounter of a rejectable electromagnetic signal to said received electromagnetic signal, and alters the alert based upon the result of the correlation.  
     
     
         29 . The police warning receiver of  claim 25  wherein said information relating to rejectable electromagnetic signals comprises signal information identifying signals received at each geographic location.  
     
     
         30 . The police warning receiver of  claim 29  wherein said signal information includes a signal incidence counter identifying a number of times a signal has been received by said receiver at each geographic location.  
     
     
         31 . The police warning receiver of  claim 25  wherein said information relating to rejectable electromagnetic signals comprises flags associated with geographic locations, said flags identifying rejectable signals at each geographic location.  
     
     
         32 . The police warning receiver of  claim 25  further comprising an interface connector, wherein information relating to rejectable electromagnetic signals is stored in said storage via said interface connector.  
     
     
         33 . The police warning receiver of  claim 32  wherein said interface connector complies with one of a universal serial bus standard, an automotive wiring standard, the J1862, CAN, BH12 and LIN standards.  
     
     
         34 . The police warning receiver of  claim 25  adapted to access and store said information relating to prior encounters from external sources.  
     
     
         35 . The police warning receiver of  claim 34  further comprising communication circuitry for obtaining said signal information from an Internet resource.  
     
     
         36 . The police warning receiver of  claim 34  further comprising communication circuitry for obtaining said signal information from a general purpose computer.  
     
     
         37 . The police warning receiver of  claim 34  further comprising communication circuitry for obtaining said signal information from another police warning receiver.  
     
     
         38 . A police warning receiver comprising: 
 a receiver section adapted to receive electromagnetic signals indicative of police activity;    an alert section responsive to the receiver section and adapted to provide an alert if a received electromagnetic signal correlates to a police signal;    a position determining circuit generating a location signal; and    storage for information regarding specific geographic locations.    
     
     
         39 . The police warning receiver of  claim 38 , wherein said electromagnetic signals include radar signals in a radar band.  
     
     
         40 . The police warning receiver of  claim 38 , wherein said electromagnetic signals are carried in the visible or infrared spectrum.  
     
     
         41 . The police warning receiver of  claim 3   8 , wherein the alert section correlates information relating to a prior encounter of a rejectable electromagnetic signal at a specific geographic location to said received electromagnetic signal, and alters the alert based upon the result of the correlation.  
     
     
         42 . The police warning receiver of  claim 38  wherein said information relating to rejectable electromagnetic signals comprises signal information identifying signals received at each geographic location.  
     
     
         43 . The police warning receiver of  claim 42  wherein said signal information includes a signal incidence counter identifying a number of times a signal has been received by said receiver at each geographic location.  
     
     
         44 . The police warning receiver of  claim 38  wherein said information relating to rejectable electromagnetic signals comprises flags associated with geographic locations, said flags identifying rejectable signals at each geographic location.  
     
     
         45 . The police warning receiver of  claim 38  further comprising an interface connector, wherein information relating to rejectable electromagnetic signals is stored in said storage via said interface connector.  
     
     
         46 . The police warning receiver of  claim 45  wherein said interface connector complies with one of a universal serial bus standard, an automotive wiring standard, the J1862, CAN, BH12 and LIN standards.  
     
     
         47 . The police warning receiver of  claim 38  adapted to access and store said information relating to prior encounters from external sources.  
     
     
         48 . The police warning receiver of  claim 47  further comprising communication circuitry for obtaining said signal information from an Internet resource.  
     
     
         49 . The police warning receiver of  claim 47  further comprising communication circuitry for obtaining said signal information from a general purpose computer.  
     
     
         50 . The police warning receiver of  claim 47  further comprising communication circuitry for obtaining said signal information from another police warning receiver.