Methods, articles and computer program products for providing travel directions

• US 20060178816A1
• Filed: 01/30/2006
• Published: 08/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Loh, Weng Wah, Dickin, Fraser John
• Application Number:
  US11/341,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20060178816A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3623 using a camera or code reader, e.g. for optical or magnetic codes
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B

Abstract

A method provides travel directions to facilitate travel to destination to a user having a mobile networkable device. Destination data is read with a reader device from a memory tag, the memory tag being a passive device comprising an electronic memory. The memory tag is attached to an article relating to said destination data. Destination data is thereby provided to the mobile networkable device. Travel directions are then derived from said destination data and presented to the user on the mobile networkable device.

Claims

1. A method of providing travel directions to facilitate travel to a destination to a user having a mobile networkable device, the method comprising:

reading destination data with a reader device from a memory tag, the memory tag being a passive device comprising an electronic memory attached to an article relating to said destination data and thereby providing destination data to said mobile networkable device;

deriving travel directions from said destination data; and

presenting said travel directions to the user on said mobile networkable device.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reader device reads data by inductively powering the memory tag.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said device has a display screen and said presenting comprises displaying said travel directions on said display screen of said mobile networkable device

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said destination data is conveyed to a remote travel directions server via said mobile networkable device using a wireless telecommunications link, said directions server using said destination data as a causal link in causing said travel directions to be sent to said mobile networkable device via a wireless communications link.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising providing said directions server or mobile networkable device with position data indicative of the geographical position of said mobile networkable device, using that position data to influence the content of said travel directions.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said travel directions conveyed to the mobile networkable device are tailored to a user of the mobile networkable device using said position data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said article is a printed document.

8. An article comprising human readable information relating to a place and a memory tag, being a passive device comprising an electronic memory, attached to the article, the electronic memory of the memory tag containing place position data relating to said place.

9. The article of claim 8, wherein said place position data is data that uniquely identifies said place.

10. The article of claim 8, wherein said place position data comprises co-ordinate data.

11. The article of claim 8, wherein said place position data comprises a unique identification code.

12. The article of claim 8 wherein the memory tag is rewritable.

13. The article of claim 8, wherein the article is a printed document.

14. A computer program product for enabling a processor of a remote server to provide place sensitive information to a mobile networkable device, the computer program product comprising:

code for receiving device position data that locates said device;

code for receiving place position data from said device; and

code for generating route data, said content of said route data being dependent on place position data and said device position data; and

transmitting said route data to said device, wherein the code resides on a tangible medium.

15. A computer program product for enabling a processor of a mobile networkable device to present route data to a user of the mobile networkable device, the computer program product comprising:

code for reading place position data from a data carrier on an article;

code for communicating said place position data to a server;

code for transmitting a signal, said signal providing said server with position data for said location of said device;

code for receiving route data, said route data being generated by said server in dependence on said place position data and said device position data; and

code for presenting said received route data to a user of said device, wherein the code resides on a tangible medium.

16. A computer program product for enabling a processor of a mobile networkable device to present route data to a user of the mobile networkable device, the computer program product comprising:

code for reading place position data from a memory tag, being a passive device comprising an electronic memory, on an article;

code for deriving route data, said route data being derived from said place position data; and

code for presenting said derived route data to a user of said device, wherein the code resides on a tangible medium.