GPS explorer

• US 20080024364A1
• Filed: 05/29/2007
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1993
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: William Frederick Taylor
• Original Assignee: William Frederick Taylor
• Inventors: Frederick Taylor, William
• Application Number:
  US11/807,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20080024364A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.13
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/39 the satellite radio beacon positioning system transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/51 of receiving stations

Abstract

This is a portable information system which uses Global Positioning System (GPS) data as a key to automatically retrieve audiovisual data from a database. On a journey the system can automatically identify and describe places of specific interest to the user, landmarks and the history of nearby buildings, or locate hotels, hospitals, shops and products within a radius of the present position. Audible menus and voice command give hands-free and eyes-free control while driving, flying, sailing or walking.

Claims

1. A system for mobile searching of information using portable devices comprising:

given a wide range of information sources, external to a portable device, providing information contained in a plurality of respective databases external to the portable device, the information keyed to locations and being of disparate subject matter, the wide range of information sources being configured for computer access across a communications network and for responding to one or more search queries by sending information in accord with the one or more search queries; and

the portable device comprising;

a position determining component sensing a position of the portable device;

a computing component coupled to receive the sensed position from the position determining component and operable to access the wide range of information sources across the communications network by;

forming a search query from the sensed position;

transmitting the search query to the wide range of information sources via the communications network; and

receiving information sent by the wide range of information sources in response to the search query; and

a presentation component presenting the received information to a user.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the wide range of information sources are located on

a computer network.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the information contained in the plurality of respective databases includes at least one of:

information related to weather;

information related to sights;

information related to places of interest;

information related to buildings;

information related to businesses;

information related to shopping;

information related to restaurants;

information related to finance;

information related to flight conditions;

information related to hotels;

information related to events;

information related to products;

information related to entertainment; and

information related to advertising.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the portable device includes modes of operation comprising at least one of:

an en route mode;

a tour mode;

a hazard warning mode;

a guidance mode;

a destination oriented guidance mode;

a simulation mode;

a what'"'"'s on mode;

a walking mode;

a driving mode; and

a flying mode; and

wherein the received information is presented to the user based on current mode of operation of the portable device.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the position determining component senses position of the portable device and determines at least one additional parameter;

and

wherein the computing component

automatically combines the sensed position and determines at least one additional parameter to form the search query; and

wherein the at least one additional parameter comprises any of;

a direction in which the portable device is pointing;

a direction of travel of the portable device;

a route of the portable device;

a speed of travel of the portable device;

a direction of movement of the portable device;

a altitude or change in altitude of the portable device;

a time of day, a day of the week, or a day of the year; and

a calendar date.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the presentation component presenting the received information includes presenting advertising.

15. The system of claim 1 further comprising an input component selecting portions of the presented information, the computing component being responsive and providing more detailed information related to the selected portions of information.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the presentation component provides at least one of:

a simulated three-dimensional presentation and a virtual reality presentation.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the position determining component comprises at least one of:

a global positioning system (GPS) receiver;

a an optical reader; and

a radio receiver.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the presentation component provides at least an audio output for presenting information in audio form to the user.

73. The system of claim 15, wherein the computing component further determines route guidance from the sensed position to the keyed location associated with selected information;

and the presentation component further presents the determined route guidance to the user.

2. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

7-8. -8. (canceled)

10-12. -12. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

19. A method of mobile searching of information using portable devices comprising:

on a portable device, outside of a search, receiving user-specified pre-defined preferences on information usable across multiple different searches;

sensing a position of the portable device;

automatically combining the pre-defined preferences with the sensed position of the portable device to form a search query;

by computer, transmitting the formed search query across a communications network to a wide range of information sources, external to the portable device, the wide range of information sources providing information contained in a plurality of respective databases external to the portable device;

in accord with the formed search query, determining information from the wide range of information sources, the information keyed to locations, the information being of disparate subject matter;

transmitting the determined information to the portable device across the communications network; and

presenting the determined information to the user on the portable device.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the wide range of information sources are located on

a computer network.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the information contained in the respective databases includes at least one of:

information related to weather;

information related to sights;

information related to places of interest;

information related to buildings;

information related to businesses;

information related to shopping;

information related to restaurants;

information related to finance;

information related to flight conditions;

information related to hotels;

information related to events;

information related to products;

information related to entertainment; and

information related to advertising.

23. The method of claim 19 further comprising operating the portable device in a user-specified mode of operation, including any of:

an en route mode;

a tour mode;

a hazard warning mode;

a guidance mode;

a destination oriented guidance mode;

a simulation mode;

a what'"'"'s on mode;

a walking mode;

a driving mode; and

a flying mode; and

the step of presenting the determined information presents the determined information based on the user-specified mode of operation of the portable device.

27. The method of claim 19 wherein sensing a position of the portable device comprises determining both a position of the portable device and at least one additional parameter;

and wherein the search query is formed by further combining the at least one additional parameter with the sensed position and the pre-defined preferences.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the at least one additional parameter comprises at least one of:

a direction in which the portable device is pointing;

a direction of travel of the portable device;

a route of travel of the portable device;

a speed of travel of the portable device;

a direction of movement of the portable device;

an altitude or change in altitude of the portable device;

a time of day, a day of the week, or a day of the year; and

a calendar date.

31. The method of claim 19 wherein the determined information comprises at least advertising.

33. The method of claim 19 further comprising enabling user selection of portions of the presented information.

34. The method of claim 19 wherein presenting the determined information to the user comprises at least one of:

a simulated three-dimensional presentation, and a virtual reality presentation.

35. The method of claim 19 wherein determining a working position of the user comprises determining position via at least one of:

a global positioning system (GPS) receiver;

an optical reader; and

a radio receiver.

36. The method of claim 19 wherein presenting the determined information to the user includes presenting information in audio form to the user.

74. The method of claim 33 further comprising:

determining route guidance from the sensed position to the keyed location associated with selected information; and

presenting the determined route guidance to the user.

20. (canceled)

24-26. -26. (canceled)

29-30. -30. (canceled)

32. (canceled)

37. A system for mobile searching of information using portable devices comprising:

a wide range of information sources, external to a portable device, providing information of disparate subject matter, the information keyed to locations, the wide range of information sources being configured for computer access across a communications network and for responding to one or more search queries by sending information in accord with the one or more search queries;

the portable device having;

a position determining component sensing a position of the portable device;

an input component enabling a user to enter search terms and enabling the user to define, outside of a search, at least one preference on information, resulting in a set of pre-defined preferences usable across multiple different searches of the wide range of information sources;

a computing component coupled to receive the sensed position from the position determining component and the predefined preferences and any entered search terms from the input component, the computing component;

automatically combining the predefined preferences with the sensed position to form a search query,

using the formed search query, accessing the wide range of information sources across the communications network, and

receiving information from the wide range of information sources in response to the search query; and

a presentation component for presenting the received information to the user.

38-72. -72. (canceled)