System and method for an intelligent multi-modal user interface for route drawing

• US 20040172191A1
• Filed: 02/27/2003
• Published: 09/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Korhonen, Panu, Vitikainen, Timo
• Granted Patent: US 7,216,034 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3423 Multimodal routing, i.e. combining two or more modes of transportation, where the modes can be any of, e.g. driving, walking, cycling, public transport
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3896 Transmission of map data from central databases

Abstract

A system and method for providing an interactive, multi-modal interface used to generate a route drawing. A mobile terminal display initially displays map data indicative of a user'"'"'s region of interest. Through a series of audible, visual, and tactile excitations, the user interacts with the route drawing system to generate a desired route to be superimposed upon the user'"'"'s region of interest. User preferences are used by the system to intelligently aid the user in selection of each segment of the route to be drawn. An analysis of each segment, as well as an analysis of the final route, is performed so that the attributes of the route, along with the graphical representation of the route itself, may be stored either locally within the mobile terminal or remotely within a map serve

Claims

1. A method for generating a route drawing on a mobile terminal display, comprising:

displaying map data indicative of a region of interest on the mobile terminal display;

setting user preferences associated with the route drawing; and

using multi-modal excitations to cause multiple route segments of the route drawing to be superimposed upon the region of interest, wherein the user preferences are used to prioritize placement of the multiple route segments.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the multi-modal excitations comprise a plurality of user interface types.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of user interface types comprise at least one of audible, visual, and tactile.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the audible user interface type includes voice commands.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the visual user interface type includes commands entered via the display of the mobile terminal.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the tactile user interface type includes a vibration emanating from the mobile terminal.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein displaying map data indicative of a region of interest comprises selecting a center datum for the region of interest.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein selecting the center datum comprises identifying a region within a wide area map displayed on the mobile terminal display.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein selecting the center datum comprises entering an address of a desired location.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein selecting the center datum comprises entering a name of a landmark.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein superimposing multiple route segments onto the region of interest comprises:

selecting a starting point on the region of interest;

placing a first route segment at the starting point; and

placing consecutive route segments end to end, wherein the route segments are confined to be within pathways defined by the region of interest.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein a wait state interrupts the placement of the next consecutive route segment due to inadequate definition of the placement.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein a prompt is provided in response to the wait state to signal a need for additional placement parameters.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the prompt is signaled by at least one of audible, visual, and tactile cue.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein attributes associated with each route segment are communicated as each route segment is placed onto the region of interest.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing the route drawing to determine final parameters indicative of the route; and

communicating the final parameters.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising storing the route drawing and the final parameters indicative of the route.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the storing occurs local to the mobile terminal.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the storing occurs remotely on a map data server.

20. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing a notification of route attributes relating to one or more of the route segments via a user interface of the mobile terminal, wherein the notification provided via the user interface comprises any one or more of an audio, visual, and tactile notification.

21. A route drawing system, comprising:

a map data server coupled to provide map data to a network;

a rendering module coupled to receive the map data and coupled to provide a rendered version of the map data indicative of a region of interest;

a mobile terminal display coupled to receive and display the rendered version of the map data;

a preference module coupled to provide user preferences relating to a route drawing; and

a route drawing module coupled to combine control input with the user preferences to generate prioritized route segments, wherein the route segments are interactively superimposed onto the rendered version of the map data to define the route drawing.

22. The route drawing system according to claim 21, further comprising a command processor coupled to provide the control input in response to multi-modal excitations.

23. The route drawing system according to claim 22, wherein the multi-modal excitations comprise at least one of audible, visual, and tactile.

24. The route drawing system according to claim 23, wherein a plurality of multi-modal excitations may be processed simultaneously.

25. The route drawing system according to claim 21, further comprising an analyzer module coupled to receive the rendered version of the map data and coupled to provide route attributes to the route drawing module to be displayed in association with the route segments.

26. The route drawing system according to claim 22, further comprising an analyzer module coupled to receive the rendered version of the map data and coupled to provide route attributes to the command processor to be audibly communicated in association with the route segments.

27. A mobile terminal wirelessly coupled to a network which includes a network element capable of providing graphical data, the mobile terminal comprising:

a memory capable of storing at least one of a user interface module, a geographic information module, and a streaming client;

a processor coupled to the memory and configured by the streaming client to enable transfer of graphical data to the geographic information module for subsequent display on the mobile terminal; and

a transceiver configured to receive the graphical data from the network element and configured to provide route segment placement commands to the network element to be superimposed onto the graphical data.

28. The mobile terminal according to claim 27, wherein the user interface module allows multi-modal inputs.

29. The mobile terminal according to claim 28, wherein the multi-modal inputs comprises at least one of audible, visual, and tactile.

30. The mobile terminal according to claim 29, wherein the multi-modal inputs are interpreted as the route segment placement commands.

31. A mobile terminal wirelessly coupled to a network which includes a network element capable of providing graphical data, the mobile terminal comprising:

a memory capable of storing at least one of a user interface module, a geographic information module, and a streaming client;

a transceiver configured to receive the graphical data from the network element; and

a processor coupled to the memory and configured by the streaming client to enable transfer of graphical data to the geographic information module for subsequent display on the mobile terminal and configured by the user interface module to superimpose route segments onto the graphical data.

32. The mobile terminal according to claim 31, wherein the user interface module allows multi-modal inputs.

33. The mobile terminal according to claim 32, wherein the multi-modal inputs comprises at least one of audible, visual, and tactile.

34. The mobile terminal according to claim 33, wherein the multi-modal inputs are interpreted as route segment placement commands to determine the placement of the route segments.

35. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon which are executable by a mobile terminal for generating a route drawing on the display of the mobile terminal by performing steps comprising:

displaying map data indicative of a region of interest on the mobile terminal display;

accepting user preferences associated with the route drawing;

receiving multi-modal excitations indicative of route segment placement commands; and

superimposing multiple route segments on the region of interest, wherein the user preferences and the route segment placement commands are used to optimize placement of the multiple route segments.

36. A map server within a network used to facilitate electronic route drawings, comprising:

means for storing graphical data indicative of a region of interest;

means for receiving route segment placement commands;

means for superimposing route segments onto the region of interest in response to the route segment placement commands to create the electronic route drawing; and

means for providing the electronic route drawing to network devices within the network.

37. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon which are executable by a map server for facilitating an electronic route drawing by performing steps comprising:

transmitting rendered graphical data representative of a region of interest;

receiving route placement commands to indicate a desired location of route segments on the region of interest;

generating attributes of the desired route segments; and

transmitting composite graphical data, wherein the composite graphical data includes a combination of the route segments superimposed onto the region of interest and the attributes associated with the route segments.