COMMUNITY MAPPING AND DIRECTION INDICATING

• US 20080189030A1
• Filed: 01/11/2008
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Aoki, Norihiro Edwin
• Granted Patent: US 9,157,760 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence

Abstract

Enabling a user to perceive map or route information including a status includes enabling a first user to perceive one or more features of a map and receiving condition information that reflects a condition perceived by the first user as existing relative to the one or more features based on input from the first user. Also, enabling a user to perceive map or route information includes receiving a request for a route from a second user and determining a response to the request for the route including the route based on the condition information received from the first user related to the one or more features. Further, enabling a user to perceive map or route information includes enabling the second user to perceive the route based on receipt of the response.

Claims

1. A method for enabling a user to perceive map or route information based on previous user input of conditions of features, the method comprising:

receiving, from a first user, a request for a first route;

determining the first route having one or more features associated therewith;

enabling a first user to perceive a first route;

receiving, from the first user, condition information to be used as a basis for accessing the one or more features associated with the first route;

using the condition information received from the first user and condition information received from sources other than the first user to determine one or more statuses of the one or more features;

storing the determined one or more statuses;

receiving, from a second user, a request for a second route;

determining the second route as including the one or more features associated with the first route;

accessing the stored one or more statuses of the one or more features; and

enabling the second user to perceive the second route and the accessed one or more statuses of the one or more features.

2. A method for enabling a user to perceive map or route information including a status, the method comprising:

enabling a first user to perceive one or more features of a map;

receiving, based on input from the first user, condition information that reflects a condition perceived by the first user as existing relative to the one or more features;

receiving, from a second user, a request for a route;

determining, based on the condition information received from the first user related to the one or more features, a response to the request for the route, the response including the route; and

enabling the second user to perceive the route based on receipt of the response.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein:

determining the response to the request for the route includes determining the route and a status of one or more features associated with the route; and

enabling the second user to perceive the route based on receipt of the response includes enabling the second user to perceive the route and the status of the one or more features.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein receiving condition information includes receiving information reflective of a prediction of an amount of traffic that will traverse a portion of a road or an intersection at a future time.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein receiving condition information includes receiving information reflective of an amount of traffic currently traversing a portion of a road or an intersection.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein receiving condition information includes receiving an update from the first user of an amount of traffic currently traversing a portion of a road or an intersection previously communicated to the first user.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein enabling the second user to perceive the route and the status of the one or more features includes enabling the user to perceive an indication of the source of the received condition information used in determining the response to the request for the route.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein enabling the second user to perceive the route and the status of the one or more features includes enabling the user to perceive an indication of the amount of the received condition information used in determining the response to the request for the route.

9. The method of claim 3 wherein enabling the second user to perceive the route and the status of the one or more features includes enabling the user to perceive one or more icons as associated with one or more features, each icon being associated with a particular status.

10. The method of claim 3 wherein:

enabling a first user to perceive the map includes enabling a user to perceive a first route including a first feature; and

receiving the condition information includes receiving condition information associated with the first feature.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein:

determining the response to the request for the route includes determining a status of the first feature in response to and after receiving the request for the route; and

enabling the second user to perceive the route includes enabling the second user to perceive the route including the first feature and the determined status of the first feature.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein determining a status of the first feature in response to and after receiving the request for the route includes:

determining that the route includes the first feature; and

using the received condition information to determine a status of the first feature based on the determination that the route includes the first feature.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein:

determining the response to the request for the route includes determining a status of the first feature before receiving the request for the route and accessing the determined status of the first feature in response to receiving the request for the route; and

enabling the second user to perceive the route includes enabling the second user to perceive the route including the first feature and the determined status of the first feature.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein determining a status of the first feature before receiving the request for the route includes using the received condition information to determine a status of the first feature and storing the determined status of the first feature, the method further comprising:

determining that the route includes the first feature; and

accessing, based on the determination that the route includes the first feature, the stored status of first feature.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising determining whether the first user should be enabled to perceive the stored status of the first feature.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein determining whether the first user should be enabled to perceive the stored status of the first feature includes use of user-specific rules.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising enabling the first user to specify options which affect the user-specific rules.

18. The method of claim 2 wherein determining the response to the request for the route includes determining whether to include the one or more features within the route based on the condition information received from the first user.

19. A system for enabling a user to perceive map or route information including a status, the system comprising:

a communications module configured to;

enable a first user to perceive a map having one or more features,

receive, based on input from the first user, condition information that reflects a condition perceived by the first user as existing relative to the one or more features,

receive, from a second user, a request for a route, and

enable the second user to perceive the route based on receipt of a response to the request for the route; and

a processing module configured to determine, based on the condition information received from the first user related to the one or more features, the response to the request for the route, the response including the route.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein:

the processing module is further configured to determine the route and a status of one or more features associated with the route; and

the communications module is further configured to enable the second user to perceive the route and the status of the one or more features.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the communications module is further configured to receive information reflective of an amount of traffic currently traversing a portion of a road or an intersection.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein the communications module is further configured to receive information reflective of a prediction of an amount of traffic that will traverse a portion of a road or an intersection at a future time.

23. The system of claim 20 wherein the communications module is further configured to receive an update from the first user of an amount of traffic currently traversing a portion of a road or an intersection previously communicated to the first user.

24. The system of claim 20 wherein the communication module is further configured to enable the user to perceive an indication of the source of the received condition information used in determining the response to the request for the route.

25. The system of claim 20 wherein the communication module is further configured to enable the user to perceive an indication of the amount of the received condition information used in determining the response to the request for the route.

26. The system of claim 20 wherein the communications module is further configured to enable the user to perceive one or more icons as associated with one or more features, each icon being associated with a particular status.

27. The system of claim 20 wherein the communications module is further configured to:

enable a user to perceive a first route including a first feature; and

receive condition information associated with the first feature.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein:

the processing module is further configured to determine a status of the first feature in response to and after receiving the request for the route; and

the communications module is further configured to enable the second user to perceive the route including the first feature and the determined status of the first feature.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the processing module is further configured to:

determine that the route includes the first feature; and

use the received condition information to determine a status of the first feature based on the determination that the route includes the first feature.

30. The system of claim 27 wherein:

the processing module is further configured to determine a status of the first feature before receiving the request for the route and accessing the determined status of the first feature in response to receiving the request for the route; and

the communications module is further configured to enable the second user to perceive the route including the first feature and the determined status of the first feature.

31. The system of claim 27 wherein the processing module is further configured to:

use the received condition information to determine a status of the first feature;

store the determined status of the first feature;

determine that the route includes the first feature; and

access, based on the determination that the route includes the first feature, the stored status of first feature.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the processing module is further configured to determine whether the first user should be enabled to perceive the stored status of the first feature.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein the processing module is further configured to determine whether the first user should be enabled to perceive the stored status of the first feature using user-specific rules.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein the communications module is further configured to enable the first user to specify options which affect the user-specific rules.

35. The system of claim 19 wherein the processing module is further configured to determine the one or more features within the route based on the condition information received from the first user.