Geographic database including data indicating wireless coverage and method and system for use thereof

• US 20060259236A1
• Filed: 07/14/2006
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lawrence M. Kaplan
• Inventors: Kaplan, Lawrence M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,305,302 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3896 Transmission of map data from central databases

Abstract

Wireless coverage data are associated with a geographic database that contains data that represent a road network in a geographic region. The wireless coverage data indicate areas within the geographic region in which navigation-related services or data from a navigation services provider are available wirelessly, or conversely, areas within the geographic region in which navigation-related services or data from a navigation services provider are not available wirelessly. An end user obtains the wireless coverage data. The wireless coverage data are used to indicate to the end user areas in which navigation-related services or data from the navigation services provider are available wirelessly or areas in which navigation-related services or data from the navigation services provider are not available wirelessly. The wireless coverage data may also be used to warn the end user when he/she is leaving an area in which navigation-related services or data from the navigation services provider are available wirelessly. Data for uncovered areas can be downloaded to an end user'"'"'s computing platform while the end user is still within an area in which navigation-related data from the navigation services provider are available wirelessly.

Claims

1. An improved geographic database that contains data that represent a road network in a geographic region, wherein the improvement comprises:

wireless coverage data associated with said geographic database, wherein said wireless coverage data indicate areas within the geographic region in which navigation-related data from a service provider are available wirelessly.

3. The invention of claim 1 or 2 wherein said wireless coverage data comprises attributes associated with data records that represents geographic features located in said geographic region.

4. The invention of claim 3 wherein said geographic features are road segments.

5. The invention of claim 3 wherein said geographic features are postal codes.

6. The invention of claim 3 wherein said geographic features are administrative boundaries.

7. The invention of claim 3 wherein said geographic features are areas defined by a developer of the geographic database.

24. The invention of claim 3 wherein said wireless coverage data further includes data identifying a navigation services provider.

25. The invention of claim 3 wherein said wireless coverage data further includes data indicating levels of service that are available.

26. The invention of claim 3 wherein said geographic features are nodes.

27. The invention of claim 1 or 2 wherein said wireless coverage data comprises data that indicates boundaries of a represented wireless coverage area.

28. The invention of claim 27 wherein the boundaries are arbitrarily defined.

2. An improved geographic database that contains data that represent a road network in a geographic region, wherein the improvement comprises:

wireless coverage data associated with said geographic database, wherein said wireless coverage data indicate areas within the geographic region in which navigation-related data from a service provider are not available wirelessly.

8-23. -23. (canceled)