Real-time path suggestion for a location-enabled mobile device

• US 10,200,818 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Park, Young Shin
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lam, Dung
• Application Number:
  US13/800,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20140113660A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,155 Days
• Field of Search: 455566, 4554563, 455457
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters

Abstract

The disclosure is directed to navigating based on directionality. An embodiment determines a position and a direction of a mobile device, determines one or more paths from the mobile device to one or more destinations associated with a current location of the mobile device, and displays one or more direction indicators corresponding to the one or more paths to the one or more destinations.

Claims

1. A method for navigating based on directionality, comprising:

determining a position of a mobile device and a direction that the mobile device is facing or travelling;

identifying a first plurality of destinations associated with a current location of the mobile device based on the position of the mobile device and the direction that the mobile device is facing or travelling;

determining whether a number of the first plurality of destinations in the direction that the mobile device is facing or travelling is greater than a threshold;

in response to the number of the first plurality of destinations in the direction that the mobile device is facing or travelling being greater than the threshold, combining the first plurality of destinations into one or more destination groups based on destination type, wherein each destination group of the one or more destination groups is represented as a single combined destination, and wherein each destination group of the one or more destination groups contains destinations having a similar destination type;

determining a path from the mobile device to a first destination group of the one or more destination groups;

displaying, at the mobile device, a direction indicator corresponding to the path to the first destination group;

displaying, at the mobile device, a single representation of the first destination group;

determining that the mobile device is within a threshold distance of the first destination group; and

in response to the determination that the mobile device is within the threshold distance of the first destination group, dividing the first destination group into a second plurality of destinations and displaying, at the mobile device, a representation of each of the second plurality of destinations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the position of the mobile device is based, at least in part, on global positioning system (GPS) signals, local positioning system (LPS) signals, and/or sensors integrated into the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the direction that the mobile device is facing or travelling is based, at least in part, on signals received from sensors of the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a distance along the path from the mobile device to the first destination group.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the direction indicator includes an indication of the distance from the mobile device to the first destination group.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating the path, the one or more destination groups, or the direction indicator based on movement of the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the updating comprises:

updating the path, the one or more destination groups, or the direction indicator as the mobile device moves towards the first destination group.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the current location is one of an airport, an amusement park, a shopping mall, a theater, an athletic stadium, a zoo, a park, or an office building.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first plurality of destinations comprise one or more gates in the airport.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of destinations comprise points of interest within the current location.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the direction indicator comprises an arrow pointing toward the first destination group.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a user is enabled to edit the direction indicator.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the editing comprises changing an attribute of the direction indicator.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the changing the attribute comprises grouping the direction indicator with at least one other direction indicator, ungrouping the direction indicator from a group of direction indicators, or deleting the direction indicator.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the changing the attribute comprises changing a color, size, or font of the direction indicator.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

playing one or more audible direction indicators corresponding to the path to the first destination group.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an arrival of the mobile device at a destination of the second plurality of destinations.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

in response to the detecting, performing one or more of;

closing an application providing the direction indicator,

switching the application to a background mode, or

providing information about the destination.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of destinations comprise at least one individual destination and at least one smaller destination group, a plurality of individual destinations, or a plurality of smaller destination groups.

20. An apparatus for navigating based on directionality, comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

determine a position of a mobile device and a direction that the mobile device is facing or travelling;

identify a first plurality of destinations associated with a current location of the mobile device based on the position of the mobile device and the direction that the mobile device is facing or travelling;

determine whether a number of the first plurality of destinations in the direction that the mobile device is facing or travelling is greater than a threshold;

combine the first plurality of destinations into one or more destination groups based on destination type in response to the number of the first plurality of destinations in the direction that the mobile device is facing or travelling being greater than the threshold, wherein each destination group of the one or more destination groups is represented as a single combined destination, and wherein each destination group of the one or more destination groups contains destinations having a similar destination type;

determine a path from the mobile device to a first destination group of the one or more destination groups;

display, at the mobile device, a direction indicator corresponding to the path to the first destination group;

display a single representation of the first destination group;

determine that the mobile device is within a threshold distance of the first destination group; and

divide, in response to the determination that the mobile device is within the threshold distance of the destination group, the first destination group into a second plurality of destinations and display a representation of each of the second plurality of destinations.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine a distance along the the path from the mobile device to the first destination group.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the direction indicator includes an indicator of the distance from the mobile device to the first destination group.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

update the path, the one or more destination groups, or the direction indicator based on movement of the mobile device.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein a user is enabled to edit the direction indicator.

25. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the first plurality of destinations comprise at least one individual destination and at least one smaller destination group, a plurality of individual destinations, or a plurality of smaller destination groups.

30. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein a user is enabled to edit the direction indicator.

26. An apparatus for navigating based on directionality, comprising:

means for determining a position of a mobile device and a direction that the mobile device is facing or travelling;

means for identifying a first plurality of destinations associated with a current location of the mobile device based on the position of the mobile device and the direction that the mobile device is facing or travelling;

means for determining whether a number of the first plurality of destinations in the direction that the mobile device is facing or travelling is greater than a threshold;

means for combining the first plurality of destinations into one or more destination groups based on destination type in response to the number of the first plurality of destinations in the direction that the mobile device is facing or travelling being greater than the threshold, wherein each destination group of the one or more destination groups is represented as a single combined destination, and wherein each destination group of the one or more destination groups contains destinations having a similar destination type;

means for determining a path from the mobile device to a first destination group of the one or more destination groups;

means for displaying, at the mobile device, a direction indicator corresponding to the path to the first destination group;

means for displaying a single representation of the first destination group;

means for determining that the mobile device is within a threshold distance of the first destination group; and

means for dividing, in response to the determination that the mobile device is within the threshold distance of the first destination group, the first destination group into a second plurality of destinations and for displaying a representation of each of the second plurality of destinations.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising:

means for determining a distance along the path from the mobile device to the first destination group.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the direction indicator includes an indication of the distance from the mobile device to the first destination group.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising:

means for updating the path, the one or more destination groups, or the direction indicator based on movement of the mobile device.

31. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the first plurality of destinations comprise at least one individual destination and at least one smaller destination group, a plurality of individual destinations, or a plurality of smaller destination groups.

32. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for navigating based on directionality, the computer-executable instructions comprising:

at least one instruction instructing a mobile device to determine a position of the mobile device and a direction that the mobile device is facing or travelling;

at least one instruction instructing the mobile device to identify a first plurality of destinations associated with a current location of the mobile device based on the position of the mobile device and the direction that the mobile device is facing;

at least one instruction instructing the mobile device to determine whether a number of the first plurality of destinations in the direction that the mobile device is facing or travelling is greater than a threshold;

at least one instruction instructing the mobile device to combine the first plurality of destinations into one or more destination groups based on destination type in response to the number of the first plurality of destinations in the direction that the mobile device is facing or travelling being greater than the threshold, wherein each destination group of the one or more destination groups is represented as a single combined destination, and wherein each destination group of the one or more destination groups contains destinations having a similar destination type;

at least one instruction instructing the mobile device to determine a path from the mobile device to a first destination group of the one or more destination groups;

at least one instruction instructing the mobile device to display a direction indicator corresponding to the path to the first destination group;

at least one instruction instructing the mobile device to display a single representation of the first destination group;

at least one instruction instructing the mobile device to determine that the mobile device is within a threshold distance of the first destination group; and

at least one instruction instructing the mobile device to divide, in response to the determination that the mobile device is within the threshold distance of the first destination group, the first destination group into a second plurality of destinations and to display a representation of each of the second plurality of destinations.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 32, further comprising:

at least one instruction to cause the mobile device to determine a distance along the path from the mobile device to the first destination group.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the direction indicator includes an indication of the distance from the mobile device to the first destination group.

35. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 32, further comprising:

at least one instruction to cause the mobile device to update the path, the one or more destination groups, or the direction indicator based on movement of the mobile device.

36. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 32, wherein a user is enabled to edit the direction indicator.

37. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 32, wherein the first plurality of destinations comprise at least one individual destination and at least one smaller destination group, a plurality of individual destinations, or a plurality of smaller destination groups.