Screensaver road map

• US 20010025224A1
• Filed: 02/16/2001
• Published: 09/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ATX Europe GmbH (Liberty Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Atecs Mannesmann AG (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Inventors: Heimann, Josef, Schneider, Hans-Gunter
• Application Number:
  US09/785,639
• Publication Number:
  US 20010025224A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence

Abstract

A method of providing information to a terminal of a user includes transmitting the information via a telecommunication network channel and displaying the information as a screensaver on a terminal display.

Claims

1. A method for providing information on a terminal for a user of the terminal, comprising the steps of:

(a) transmitting the information to a terminal via a channel of a telecommunication network; and

(b) displaying the information as a screensaver on a display at the terminal.

2. The method of

claim 1

, wherein said step (a) comprises transmitting the information to the terminal from a traffic center.

3. The method of

claim 1

, wherein said step of transmitting comprises transmitting the information to the terminal in response to changes on a route in a digital map contained in the information.

4. The method of

claim 1

, wherein said step of transmitting comprises transmitting the information cyclically.

5. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the information transmitted in said step (a) contains traffic information.

6. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the information transmitted in said step (a) contains information relating to events, points of interest, ticket offers, auctions, and specific locations.

7. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the information transmitted in said step (a) contains at least a portion of a digital road map.

8. The method of

claim 7

, wherein said step (a) comprises transmitting the at least a portion of a digital map as a bitmap.

9. The method of

claim 7

, wherein the at least a portion of a digital map includes markings representing at least one of a traveling time and a speed.

10. The method of

claim 7

, wherein the digital map includes visually emphasized markings of traffic jams.

11. The method of

claim 10

, wherein the at least a portion of a digital map includes hyperlinks to Internet pages are placed behind the traffic jam markings.

12. The method of

claim 10

, wherein the at least a portion of a digital map includes mouse-over areas on the traffic jam markings, said method further comprising the step of displaying additional information on traffic jams when the traffic jam markings on the at least a portion of the digital map are selected by one of moving a cursor over the traffic jam marking and clicking on the traffic jam marking, the additional information on traffic jams including at least one of length, intensity, duration, and cause.

13. The method of

claim 7

, wherein said step (a) further includes transmitting additional information to the terminal along with the information representing the digital map.

14. The method of

claim 1

, further comprising the step of outputting a warning to the user of the terminal in response to a change in the digital map.

15. The method of

claim 1

, further comprising the step of switching the screensaver on in response to a change in the route of the digital map.

16. The method of

claim 1

, wherein said step (a) comprises transmitting the information by Internet.

17. The method of

claim 1

, wherein said step (a) comprises transmitting the information by a mobile radio.

18. The method of

claim 17

, wherein said step (a) comprises using point-to-point short messages.

19. The method of

claim 1

, wherein said step (a) comprises transmitting the information via a line network.

20. The method as claimed in

claim 19

, wherein said step (a) comprises transmitting the information via an ISDN D-channel.

21. The method of

claim 1

, further comprising the step of charging a flat rate transmission costs for said step (a).

22. The method of

claim 1

, further comprising the step of charging individual transmission costs for each transmission of the information in said step (a).

23. The method of

claim 1

, further comprising the step of storing a file in the center for a user, wherein the file specifies with respect to the user of the terminal which section of a digital map is to be transmitted to him.

24. A center for providing information on a terminal for a user of the terminal, comprising:

a transmission device for transmitting information to a terminal via a channel of a telecommunication network, said information being operatively arranged for display as a screensaver on a display at the terminal.

25. The center of

claim 24

, further comprising a memory for receiving data specifying which information, especially which map sections of a digital map, is to be transmitted to a user of the terminal.

26. A terminal, comprising:

a receiving device for receiving information transmitted by a transmission device via a channel of a telecommunication network;

a display; and

means for displaying the information as a screensaver on the display.