Navigation System for Portable Communication Devices

• US 20070218891A1
• Filed: 03/16/2007
• Published: 09/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jr. James Ronald Herring
• Original Assignee: Marc S. Cox
• Inventors: Cox, Marc S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,208,949 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/422.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/14 between corresponding nodes

Abstract

A navigation system for portable communications devices may comprise computer programs for providing a geographical context for display in the portable device. The portable device periodically interacts with at least one of a telecommunications network and a GPS network to update an information portal with current location information. The navigation system includes displaying information on the portable communications device representative of a change in location of the mobile telephone device or a change in location of another tracked device. The information representative of the change in location can be overlaid on the geographical context and both displayed in the mobile telephone device. The combined geographical context and specific location data is scaled to fit a display on a portable communications device. Other embodiments provide means for obtaining information representative of a location of some object or of another object for display in the mobile telephone device.

Claims

1. A computer program product for providing mapping functionality to a first portable communications device comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having mapping commands thereon, said mapping commands being executable by a processor and comprising;

a positioning command sequence for calculating a geographical location of the first portable communications device;

a communications command sequence for periodically transmitting an updated geographical location of the first portable communications device to an information portal and receiving updated geographical locations of other portable communications devices from the portal; and

a display command sequence for showing a map on the first portable communications device, the map scaled to include location plots for the first portable device and the other portable devices for which geographical locations have been received.

2. A computer program product according to claim 1, wherein said portable communications device is a cell phone.

3. A computer program product according to claim 1, wherein said portable communications device comprises a receiver for accepting data communications from a satellite.

7. A computer program product according to claim 1, wherein said display command sequence comprises a computer program in electronic communication with a viewing screen on said portable communications device, for showing the location of each respective portable communications device at updated intervals determined by said first portable communications device.

8. A computer program product according to claim 1, wherein said display command sequence represents location information regarding a personal communications device as a vector.

9. A computer program product according to claim 1, wherein said display command sequence comprises zooming features to expand a portion of the viewed display to show more details of the associated mapping information.

4. A computer program product according to clam 1, wherein said positioning command sequence comprises a computer program that calculates the current geographical location of the cell phone.

5. A computer program product according to clam 1, wherein said communications command sequence comprises a computer program in electronic communication with a transmitter within the portable communications device for sending the current geographical location of the personal communications device to an information portal.

6. A computer program product according to clam 1, wherein said communications command sequence comprises a computer program in electronic communication with a receiver for processing location data of other portable communications devices, said location data being received from said portal.

10. A computerized system for providing mapping information to portable communications devices comprising:

an information portal in electronic communication with computer hardware, said portal being continually updated with location information of portable communications devices;

a communications network that transmits mapping information to at least one portable communications device, wherein said mapping information comprises a geographical context scaled for display on a portable communications device; and

said portable communications device comprises a computer readable storage medium having mapping commands thereon to show the scaled geographical context and the continually updated location information associated with at least one portable communications device.

11. A computer program product according to claim 10, wherein said portable communications device is a cell phone.

12. A computerized system according to claim 10, wherein said information portal comprises databases for storing information regarding respective portable communications devices.

13. A computerized system according to claim 10, wherein said information portal comprises databases for storing information regarding vendors that advertise goods and services to portable communications devices.

14. A computerized system according to claim 10, wherein said information portal comprises a server.

15. A computerized system according to claim 10, wherein said information portal comprises a receiver for receiving data from portable communications devices and storing the data in a database.

16. A computerized system according to claim 15, wherein said data from portable communications devices is selected from the group consisting of device identifier, latitude coordinate of the device, longitude coordinate of the device, altitude coordinate of the device, a global position time stamp, a device clock time stamp, calculated positional parameters, and combinations thereof

17. A computerized system according to claim 10, wherein said communications network is a cellular radio network.

18. A computerized system according to claim 10, wherein said geographical context is a mapping tile representative of an area in which a portable communications device is located.

19. A computerized system according to claim 10, wherein said portal comprises software for scaling an image to the size of a viewing screen on a portable communications device.

20. A computerized system according to claim 10, wherein said mapping information comprises the location of at least two portable communications devices and said geographical context is scaled to show the location information for each respective portable communications device on the viewing screen of one portable communications device.

21. A computerized system according to claim 10, wherein said portal is in electronic communication with computer-usable media having software therein for scaling mapping information, said software comprising scaling commands for determining the amount of geographic detail transmitted from the portal to the portable communications device.

22. A computerized system according to claim 21, wherein said scaling commands utilize data selected from the group consisting of the speed at which a portable communications device is moving, the direction of movement, the number of portable communications devices to be displayed on a single device, and combinations thereof.

31. A method according to claim 20, wherein the step of periodically transmitting updated and scaled mapping information to at least one personal communications device comprises receiving preference data from a first personal communications device identifying other personal communications devices or categories of interest for display on the first personal communications device.

32. A method according to claim 31, wherein the step of displaying the updated and scaled mapping information on the at least one portable communications device comprises displaying all preferred personal communications devices and categories of interest on a single mapping tile within the viewing display of the first personal communications device.

33. A method according to claim 31, wherein the step of displaying the updated and scaled mapping information on the at least one portable communications device comprises displaying all preferred personal communications devices and categories of interest on a single mapping tile within the viewing display of all preferred personal communications device.

34. A method according to claim 33, wherein the step of displaying the updated and scaled mapping information on the all preferred portable communications devices comprises continually updating each respective device with the location of each other respective device.

23. A computer implemented method of communicating mapped advertisement information to portable communications devices, comprising:

continually updating an information portal with location information for portable communications devices;

continually updating the information portal with categories of interests that can be matched to a personal communications device or to a location;

retrieving the geographical context of a portable communications device from a geographical context server;

overlaying the location information and category of interest information on the geographical context;

scaling the geographical context, the location information, and the category of interest information for display on a portable communication device;

periodically transmitting updated and scaled mapping information to at least one personal communications device, said mapping information selected from the group consisting of said geographical context, said location information, said category of interest information, and combinations thereof; and

displaying the updated and scaled mapping information on the at least one portable communications device, the device including mapping commands that are executable by a processor in the portable communications device.

24. A computer program product according to claim 23, wherein said portable communications device is a cell phone.

25. A method according to claim 23, wherein the step of continually updating the information portal with location information for portable communications devices comprises receiving the latitude, longitude, and altitude coordinates for each respective device.

26. A method according to claim 23, wherein the step of continually updating the information portal with category of interest information comprises transmitting data from a personal communications device to the portal for associating goods and services with a portable communications device record in the portal.

27. A method according to claim 23, wherein the step of continually updating the information portal with category of interest information comprises entering goods and services data into the portal and associating those goods and services with a geographical location.

28. A method according to claim 23, wherein the step of periodically transmitting updated and scaled mapping information comprises transmitting a mapping tile to the personal communications device.

29. A method according to claim 28, wherein the step of periodically transmitting updated and scaled mapping information comprises calculating the relative position of a personal communication device within the current mapping tile and determining if the device is moving outside the scaled scope of the tile.

30. A method according to claim 29, wherein the step of periodically transmitting updated and scaled mapping information comprises retrieving a new geographical context if the personal communication device is outside the scope of the tile currently displayed on a device.

35. A method according to claim 23, wherein the step of displaying the updated and scaled mapping information on the at least one portable communications device comprises displaying categories of interest associated with the current location of a personal communications device on a single mapping tile within the viewing display of the a personal communications device.

36. A computerized system for transmitting updated mapping information to personal communications devices in a distributed network comprising:

an information portal in electronic communication with computer hardware for managing communications within a portable communications network, said portal comprising;

a database for aggregating (i) continually updated location information for multiple personal communications devices and (ii) categories of interest records that can be searched and associated with a personal communications device or with a geographic location;

a security profile database for associating user security preferences with portable communications devices and categories of interest records in the information portal, the security profile establishing rules for transmitting information from said databases;

a geographical context server for associating mapping information to a respective portable communications device or to a category of interest record;

computer readable storage media in electronic communication with said portal, said storage media having mapping commands that are executable by a processor to create mapping data by overlaying the location and interest information on the geographical context, said mapping commands further operating to scale the mapping data for display on a portable communication device;

a data transmission network for sending data from said portal to portable communications devices connected to said network;

at least one portable communications device connected to said network for periodically transmitting updated location information to said information portal and periodically receiving mapping data from said portal, said personal communications device comprising a computer readable storage medium having a display command sequence that is executable by a processor in said portable communications device to show the scaled geographical context, location information, and category of interest information on a display.

37. A computerized system according to claim 36, wherein said portable communications device is a cell phone.

38. A computerized system according to claim 36, wherein said security profile comprises computer logic and data that controls the transmission of location information, geographical context information, and category of interest information from the portal to a personal communications device.

39. A computerized system according to claim 36 wherein a user customizes the security profile by transmitting preferences associated with a personal communications device for saving in said portal.

40. A computerized system according to claim 36, wherein a first personal communications device transmits data to said portal for controlling the extent of location information transmitted to other devices regarding the first personal communications device.

41. A computerized system according to claim 37, wherein said portal communicates a message to said first personal communications device when another personal communications device enters or exits a specified location.

42. A computerized system according to claim 36, wherein said security profile is set to a security level selected from the group consisting of public, private, private group and secured.

43. A computerized method of distributing updated mapping information to personal communications devices in a distributed network, comprising:

aggregating continually updated location information for multiple personal communications devices in an information portal, wherein the information in the portal is updated via a data transmission from a respective personal communications device according to a schedule determined by that device;

aggregating categories of interests that can be searched and associated with a personal communications device or with a location;

retrieving the geographical context of (i) a respective portable communications device or (ii) a category of interest from a geographical context server;

overlaying the location and interest information on the geographical context;

scaling the combined geographical context and the location and interest information for display on a portable communication device;

periodically transmitting updated and scaled geographical context and location and interest information to at least one personal communications device; and

displaying the location and categories of interest information on the at least one portable communications device, the device including mapping commands that are executable by a processor in the portable communications device.

47. A computer implemented method according to claim 43, wherein the method is implemented by using a cell phone as the personal communications device.

48. A computer implemented method according to claim 43, wherein the step of updating the security preferences comprises receiving security data and updating the information portal within a sufficiently short period of time to allow users to receive updates on a near real time basis.

49. A computer implemented method according to claim 43, wherein the step of showing the updated and scaled mapping display comprises showing data selected from the group consisting of geographical context, location information for a portable communications device, categories of interest, and combinations thereof.

44. A computerized system for transmitting updated mapping information to personal communications devices in a distributed network comprising:

an information portal for managing communications within a portable communications network, said portal comprising;

a database for aggregating (i) continually updated location information for multiple personal communications devices and (ii) categories of interest records that can be searched and associated with a personal communications device or with a geographic location;

a security profile database for associating user security preferences with portable communications devices and categories of interest records in the master database, the security profile establishing rules for transmitting information from said databases;

a geographical context server for associating mapping information to a respective portable communications device or to a category of interest record;

computer readable storage media in electronic communication with said portal, said storage media having mapping commands that are executable by a processor to create mapping data by overlaying the location and interest information on the geographical context, said mapping commands further operating to scale the mapping data for display on a portable communication device;

a data transmission network for sending data from said portal to portable communications devices connected to said network;

at least one portable communications device connected to said network for periodically transmitting updated location information to said information portal and periodically receiving mapping data from said servers, said personal communications device comprising a computer readable storage medium having a display command sequence that is executable by a processor in said portable communications device to show the scaled geographical context, location information, and category of interest information on display.

45. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium that is accessible over a network for providing mapping functionality to a first portable communications device comprising:

mapping commands executable by a processor, said mapping commands comprising;

a positioning command sequence for calculating a geographical location of the first portable communications device;

a communications command sequence for periodically transmitting an updated geographical location of the first portable communications device to an information portal and receiving updated geographical locations of other portable communications devices from the information portal; and

a display command sequence for showing a map on the first portable communications device, the map scaled to include location plots for the first portable device and the other portable devices for which geographical locations have been received.

46. A computer implemented method of communicating mapping information to portable communications devices to foster more efficient meeting arrangements on an ad hoc basis, comprising:

continually updating an information portal with location information for portable communications devices;

continually updating the information portal with categories of interests that can be matched to a personal communications device or to a location;

updating the security preferences in the information portal for a first portable communications device upon receiving commands from the first portable communications device to allow at least one different portable communications to receive location information regarding the first portable communications device;

scaling a mapping display showing the location of the respective portable communications devices for display on any one of the portable communications devices;

periodically transmitting an updated and scaled version of the mapping display to any or all of the respective personal communications devices; and

showing the updated and scaled mapping display on any or all of the portable communications devices, the devices including mapping commands that are executable by processors in the portable communications devices.