Mobile geo-temporal information manager

• US 20070112511A1
• Filed: 11/17/2005
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Digital Cyclone, Inc. (Garmin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Digital Cyclone, Inc. (Garmin Limited)
• Inventors: Burfeind, Craig, Kruhoeffer, Douglas
• Application Number:
  US11/281,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20070112511A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling

Abstract

A geo-temporal information display system includes a wireless telecommunications device connected to a geo-temporal information server. The wireless telecommunications device includes a display. The geo-temporal information server contains geo-temporal information and at least one map. The map includes at least one particular location which, for example, may be the location if the telecommunications device. The telecommunications device receives a user-customized subset of the geo-temporal information. The subset may be a specific type of weather data, such as precipitation or lightning. The subset may also represent other geo-temporal information. This subset is displayed concurrently with the map on the display of the wireless telecommunications device.

Claims

1. A geo-temporal information system comprising:

(a) a mobile telecommunications device including a display, the telecommunications device wirelessly connected to a geo-temporal information server containing geo-temporal information;

(b) at least one map stored on the geo-temporal information server, the map configured to present geographical information on the display and representing a geographical area including at least one particular location; and

(c) at least one user-customized subset of the geo-temporal information received from the geo-temporal information server, the user-customized subset representing types of geo-temporal events occurring at an event time and an event location, wherein the user-customized subsets are presented as graphical data on the display concurrently with the map.

2. The geo-temporal information display system of claim 1, wherein the particular location is the current location of the mobile telecommunications device.

3. The geo-temporal information display system of claim 1, wherein the particular location is based on periodic updating of the location of the mobile telecommunications device.

4. The geo-temporal information display system of claim 1, wherein the particular location is a previous user-selected particular location of the mobile telecommunications device.

5. The geo-temporal information display system of claim 1, wherein the particular location is a user-selectable location chosen from among locations represented by the map.

6. The geo-temporal information display system of claim 1, wherein the user-customized subset of geo-temporal information comprises lightning time and location data.

7. The geo-temporal information display system of claim 1, wherein the user-customized subset of geo-temporal information comprises ultraviolet radiation level data.

8. The geo-temporal information display system of claim 1, wherein the user-customized subset of geo-temporal information comprises rainstorm location and severity information.

9. The geo-temporal information display system of claim 1, wherein the user-customized subset of geo-temporal information comprises snow depth and location information.

10. The geo-temporal information display system of claim 1, wherein the user-customized subset of geo-temporal information comprises historical weather information.

11. The geo-temporal information display system of claim 1, wherein the user-customized subset of geo-temporal information is user-selectable.

12. The geo-temporal information display system of claim 1, wherein the mobile information device is a cellular telephone.

13. The geo-temporal information display system of claim 1, wherein the mobile information device is a personal digital assistant.

14. The geo-temporal information display system of claim 1, wherein the user-customized subset of geo-temporal information comprises forecast information.

15. The geo-temporal information display system of claim 1, wherein the geo-temporal information display system further comprises pre-recorded audio weather messages.

16. The geo-temporal information display system of claim 1, wherein the user-selectable subset comprises a changed visual appearance assigned to at least one region of the map corresponding to a severity of geo-temporal events in a corresponding geographical region.

17. The geo-temporal information display system of claim 1, wherein the server assigns a changed visual appearance to at least one region of the map corresponding to a severity of threat of weather events in a corresponding geographical region.

18. The geo-temporal information display system of claim 17, wherein the display system further comprises estimated time of arrival data related to the geo-temporal events and the particular location.

19. The geo-temporal information display system of claim 17, wherein the display system further comprises projected path of travel data related to the geo-temporal events.

20. The geo-temporal information display system of claim 1, wherein the map is three-dimensional.

21. The geo-temporal information display system of claim 1, wherein the map is navigable.

22. A method of displaying geo-temporal information, the method comprising:

selecting at least one user-customized subset of geo-temporal information stored on a geo-temporal information server;

generating a request for geo-temporal information associated with a particular location of a mobile telecommunications device having a display;

receiving a map configured to present geographical information on the display, the map comprising a graphical representation of the particular location;

receiving the user-customized subset of geo-temporal information on the mobile telecommunications device; and

presenting the user-customized subset of geo-temporal information and the map on the display of the mobile telecommunications device.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising determining a location of the mobile telecommunications device.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the particular location comprises the current location of the mobile telecommunications device.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein the mobile telecommunications device comprises a cellular telephone.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein the user-customized subset of geo-temporal information is user-selectable.

27. In a mobile telecommunications device having a graphical user interface including a display and a user interface selection device, a method of displaying geo-temporal information, comprising the steps of:

selecting at least one user-customized subset of geo-temporal information stored on a geo-temporal information server for display;

generating a request for geo-temporal information associated with the particular location of the mobile telecommunications device;

receiving a map configured to present geographical information on the display, the map and comprising a graphical representation of the particular location;

receiving the user-customized subset of geo-temporal information on the mobile telecommunications device; and

presenting the user-customized subset of geo-temporal information and the map on the display of the mobile telecommunications device.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising determining a particular location of the mobile telecommunications device;

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the particular location comprises the current location of the mobile telecommunications device.

30. The method of claim 27 wherein the particular location comprises a projected future location of the mobile telecommunications device.

31. The method of claim 27 wherein the mobile telecommunications device comprises a cellular telephone.

32. The method of claim 27 wherein the user-customized subset of geo-temporal information is user-selectable.

33. The method of claim 27 wherein the map is navigable.

34. The method of claim 27 wherein the user-customized subset of geo-temporal information represents a time-lapse animation of geo-temporal events.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the displaying repeats one or more times.

36. The method of claim 27 wherein the displaying further shows location information.

37. An emergency weather event graphical display system comprising:

(a) a mobile telecommunications device comprising a display, the telecommunications device residing at a current location and wirelessly connected to a weather information server containing emergency weather event information representing emergency weather events that have occurred within a predetermined time;

(b) at least one map stored on the weather information server, the map configured to present geographical information on the display and representing a geographical area including the current location; and

(c) first and second graphical objects configured for display on the map, the first graphical objects representing recent emergency weather events and the second graphical objects representing historical weather events;

(d) wherein the emergency weather event information is received by the mobile telecommunications device and presented as graphical data on the display within a predetermined temporal proximity to the weather events that occur within a predetermined proximity to the current location.

38. The weather event graphical display system of claim 37, wherein the mobile telecommunications device periodically transmits current location data to the weather information server.

39. The weather event graphical display system of claim 37, wherein the emergency weather event information comprises lightning information.

40. The weather event graphical display system of claim 37, wherein the emergency weather event information comprises tornado information.

41. The weather event graphical display system of claim 37, wherein the emergency weather event information comprises hurricane information.

42. The weather event graphical display system of claim 37, wherein the emergency weather event graphical display system further comprises weather tips presented on the display concurrently with the weather event information.

43. A method of displaying server-generated lightning alerts, the method comprising:

determining a current location of a mobile telecommunications device having a display;

receiving on the mobile telecommunications device a lightning alert generated by a weather information server, the lightning alert corresponding to at least one lightning event within a predetermined proximity to the current location; and

presenting a lightning message on the display.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein the mobile telecommunications device is a personal digital assistant.

45. The method of claim 43 wherein the mobile telecommunications device is a cellular telephone.

46. The method of claim 43 wherein the lightning message comprises a distance between the lightning event and the current location and a description of the lightning alert.

47. The method of claim 43 wherein the lightning message comprises a lightning-signifying graphical object.

48. The method of claim 43 wherein the lightning message comprises first and second graphical objects, the first graphical objects representing recent lightning strikes and the second graphical objects representing historical lightning strikes.

49. The method of claim 43 wherein the lightning message further comprises a link to corresponding weather information.

50. The method of claim 49 wherein the lightning message is overlaid on a map containing the corresponding weather information.

51. The method of claim 50 wherein the corresponding weather information is a radar image.

52. The method of claim 50 wherein the corresponding weather information is a satellite image.

53. The method of claim 43 wherein the determining step comprises triangulation among at least three telecommunications sources.

54. The method of claim 43 wherein the determining step utilizes the global positioning system.

55. A current weather monitor for a mobile telecommunications device, the display comprising:

(a) a mobile telecommunications device comprising a color display;

(b) a selected graphic presented on the display; and

(c) an icon incorporated in the selected graphic, the icon comprising a region of the display presenting a current temperature and a weather status indicator denoting the existence of a current weather warning.

56. The current weather display of claim 55, wherein the region comprising the visual state changes colors to denote the existence of a current weather warning.

57. The current weather display of claim 55, wherein the mobile telecommunications device is a cellular phone.

58. The current weather display of claim 57, wherein the selected graphic is a main options menu.

59. The current weather display of claim 57, wherein the display is the secondary display of a folding cellular phone.