Real-time navigation system for mobile environment

• US 20020173905A1
• Filed: 01/24/2002
• Published: 11/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Televigation Inc.
• Original Assignee: Televigation Inc.
• Inventors: Chao, Yi-Chung, Dhanani, Salman, Jin, Haiping, Glebov, Alexander G., Meshenberg, Ruslan Adikovic, Dai, Donghai
• Application Number:
  US10/057,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20020173905A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3626 Details of the output of route guidance instructions traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096861 where the immediate route instructions are output to the driver, e.g. arrow signs for next turn
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

A system and method for providing navigational information to a user connected in real-time, such as through a wireless telephone, PDA, or other device. The system provides navigational information to the user in the form most useful to the user, such as according to landmarks, or the number of blocks until the next action. The system also provides directions to points of interest along the user'"'"'s route. Further, the system allows the user to suspend and resume a session. Also, the system varies the sampling rate at which the user'"'"'s location is examined, to enhance efficiency and convenience.

Claims

1. A method for providing navigational information to a user, comprising the steps of:

establishing a real-time connection with the user;

receiving the user'"'"'s location in real time;

providing navigational information to the user;

suspending the connection with the user;

storing trip information regarding the user'"'"'s position and destination at the time the connection was suspended;

re-establishing a real-time connection with the user; and

providing further navigational information to the user, at least partly based on the stored trip information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after the step of re-establishing a real-time connection with the user, the step of determining if the user'"'"'s previous trip was suspended.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after the step of re-establishing a real-time connection with the user, the step of querying the user to determine if the user is resuming a suspended call.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, before the step of suspending the connection with the user, the step of instructing the user to suspend the call.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of instructing the user to resume the call.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said step of instructing the user to resume the call comprises instructing the user to resume the call after a given period of time.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said step of instructing the user to resume the call comprises instructing the user to resume the call at a given time.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of instructing the user to resume the call comprises instructing the user to resume the call when the user has reached a specified landmark.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after the step of suspending the call to the user, the step of providing the user with non-navigational programming.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the non-navigational programming comprises music pre-selected by the user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing further navigational information to the user comprises providing navigational information in speech format over a connection comprising a telephone network.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing further navigational information to the user comprises providing navigational information in text format.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing further navigational information to the user comprises providing navigational information in graphical format.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing further navigational information comprises transmitting navigational information over a wireless connection.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to the step of suspending the connection with the user, the step of conveying to the user the mileage until the next navigational action required by the user.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to the step of suspending the connection with the user, the step of conveying to the user the mileage until the user reaches said destination.

17. A method of providing wireless telephone service to a plurality of subscribers, using the method of claim 1.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said step of recognizing that the call is a resumption of a previous call comprises prompting the user to identify if the call is a resumption of a previous call.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of providing navigational information to the user comprises transmitting navigational information over a wireless connection.

18. A method for providing navigational information to a user, comprising the steps of:

receiving a telephone call from the user;

determining identity information for the user;

recognizing, at least in part from the identity information, that the call is a resumption of a previous call from the user;

retrieving historical information regarding the user, said historical information relating at least in part to the previous call from the user;

providing navigational information to the user based at least in part on the historical information.

21. A system for providing location information to a user, comprising:

an interface communicating with the user over a communications network;

a processor connected to the interface and configured to generate navigational information based at least in part on information received from the user;

said processor further configured to suspend interaction with the user and to later resume interaction with the user;

a storage device connected to the processor and configured to store user information, said user information comprising location and destination information for the user;

a transmission device connected to a network, through which the generated navigational information is conveyed to the user.

22. The system of claim 21, said user information further comprising the location of the user at the time the processor suspended interaction with the user.

23. The system of claim 21, said storage device comprising a database of user information, said database comprising an indication of whether the user has suspended a call for a trip.

24. The system of claim 23, said database further comprising resumption information, said resumption information comprising the user'"'"'s expected location upon resumption of interaction with the user.

25. A method of providing wireless telephone service to a plurality of subscribers, using the system of claim 21.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the parameters needed to provide navigational information comprise the user'"'"'s present location.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the parameters needed to provide navigational information comprise the user'"'"'s heading.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein said navigational information comprises a summary of the navigational action remaining until the user reaches the user'"'"'s selected destination.

26. A system for providing navigational information to a user, comprising:

interface means for communicating with the user over a communications network;

processor means for generating navigational information based at least in part on information received from the user;

suspension means for suspending interaction with the user and to later resume interaction with the user;

storage means for storing user information, said user information comprising location and destination information for the user;

transmission means for conveying the generated navigational information to the user.

27. A method for providing navigational information to a user, comprising the steps of:

establishing a real-time connection with the user;

receiving location information for the user;

determining the uncertainty in the parameters needed to provide navigational information to the user;

providing navigational information to the user, said navigational information selected based on said uncertainty.

31. A method for providing navigational information to a user, comprising the steps of:

establishing a real-time connection with the user, said connection comprising a connection over a wireless telephone network;

generating a set of navigational prompts based at least in part on the user'"'"'s location and the user'"'"'s destination;

identifying a selected area in which the user is traveling;

identifying the navigational prompts that are applicable while the user is in the selected area; and

providing the identified navigational prompts to the user.

32. A method for providing navigational information to a user, comprising the steps of:

obtaining the user'"'"'s current location and ultimate destination;

determining an initial preferred path from the user'"'"'s current location to the ultimate destination;

receiving an interim point of interest for the user through a connection to the user, said connection comprising a wireless telephone network;

identifying potential interim destinations for the user, based at least in part on the user'"'"'s point of interest and the geographic locations of related destinations;

selecting an interim destination among the identified potential interim destinations, said selection based at least in part on the minimal deviation from the initial preferred path; and

providing navigational information to the user, said navigational information comprising directions to the interim destination.

33. A method for providing navigational information to a user, comprising the steps of:

obtaining the user'"'"'s current location and ultimate destination;

generating navigational information to direct the user to the ultimate destination in text format, said navigational information comprising a street name;

converting the navigation information in text format to speech format; and

conveying the navigational information in speech format to the user through a connection, said connection comprising a telephone network.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein said voice generator comprises a database of sound files, said sound files corresponding to street names.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein said selected factors comprise the current traffic on the wireless telephone network.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein a plurality of said users are connected to a server, and said selected factors comprise the number of said users.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein said selected factors comprise traffic conditions.

41. The method of claim 37, wherein said selected factors comprise the geographic environment in the vicinity of the user.

42. The method of claim 37, wherein said selected factors comprise the distance until the next expected navigational action for the user.

43. The method of claim 37, wherein said selected factors comprise the user'"'"'s speed.

34. A system for providing navigational information to a user, comprising:

an interface communicating with the user over a communications network;

a processor connected to the interface and configured to generate navigational information based at least in part on information received from the user;

a voice generator to convert said navigational information from text format to speech format; and

a transmission device connected to a network, through which the generated navigational information is conveyed to the user in speech format.

36. A method for providing navigational information to a user, comprising the steps of:

establishing a connection with the user, said connection comprising a wireless telephone network;

obtaining the user'"'"'s ultimate destination;

obtaining the user'"'"'s current location at least in part through said connection;

generating navigational information to direct the user to the ultimate destination, said navigational information comprising the number of blocks until the next navigational action required by the user; and

conveying the navigational information to the user through the connection.

37. A method for providing navigational information to a user, comprising the steps of:

establishing a connection with the user, said connection comprising a wireless telephone network;

repeatedly receiving location information for the user;

periodically providing the user with navigational directions based at least in part on the user'"'"'s location and destination; and

varying the frequency for receiving location information for the user according to selected factors.

44. A method for providing navigational information to a user, comprising the steps of:

establishing a real-time connection with the user;

receiving location information from the user;

converting the location information from a first format into a second format;

generating navigational information to direct the user to a destination based at least in part on said location information; and

conveying the navigational information to the user through the connection.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein said first format is a first language, and said second format is a second language.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein said first format is the wireless application protocol (WAP).

48. The method of claim 47, wherein said first format is a first language, and said second format is a second language.

49. The method of claim 47, wherein said second format is the wireless application protocol (WAP).

50. The method of claim 47, wherein said second format is extensible markup language (XML).

51. The method of claim 47, wherein said second format is hypertext markup language (HTML).

47. A method for providing navigational information to a user, comprising the steps of:

establishing a real-time connection with the user;

receiving location information from the user;

generating navigational information to direct the user to a destination based at least in part on said location information;

converting the navigational information from a first format into a second format; and

conveying the navigational information to the user through the connection.

52. A system for providing navigational information to a user, comprising:

interface means for sending information to the user and for receiving information from the user;

measurement means for processing positional information regarding the user;

mapping means for generating a navigational route for the user;

deviation detection means for determining if the user is following the navigational route; and

instruction means for generating navigational information for the user.