REMOTE DESTINATION PROGRAMMING FOR VEHICLE NAVIGATION

• US 20080195306A1
• Filed: 03/07/2008
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karma Automotive LLC (Wanxiang Group Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Airbiquity Incorporated
• Inventors: Moinzadeh, Kamyar, Hong, Leon
• Granted Patent: US 8,014,942 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard

Abstract

Remote destination programming enables a user to define a desired destination (402, 406, 410) in advance of a journey. The destination may be stored in a user profile (502, 504) on a remote navigation server (400, 500). It may be uploaded there via a web interface (402), or through land-line or wireless telecom communications (410). Subsequently, for example beginning at a rental car agency, the navigation server supports navigation through any of several modes of operation, including a first mode in which the desired destination information is downloaded from the server (520) so as to program target navigation equipment (522) on-board the rental vehicle. In another mode, the user'"'"'s GPS-enabled communication device (428) interacts with the navigation server (500) to upload periodic location data (430), and receive turn-by-turn directions (530) for the user. In this mode, there is no need for separate on-board navigation equipment to assist the user to the desired location.

Claims

1. A method for personal navigation to a desired destination location, the method comprising:

(a) communicating a desired destination location to a remote navigation server;

(b) uploading a current location from a GPS-enabled communication device to the navigation server;

(c) in the navigation server, based on the uploaded current location and the desired destination location, determining an instruction to advance the user generally toward the desired destination location;

(d) communicating the instruction to the user; and

(e) repeating steps (b)-(d) so as to provide navigation instructions to the desired destination location.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein:

the remote navigation server is substantially automated; and

said communicating a desired location to the remote navigation server is accomplished via a data service of a wireless telecommunication network.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the data service of a wireless telecommunication network comprises an SMS service.

4. A method according to claim 2 and further comprising communicating a confirmation message from the remote navigation server to a selected user communication device.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein said communicating a confirmation message from the remote navigation server to a selected user communication device comprises communicating the confirmation message over at least one of the Internet and a telecommunications network.

6. A method according to claim 4 wherein said communicating a confirmation message from the remote navigation server to a selected user communication device comprises sending the confirmation to a user communication device that was used to communicate the desired location to the remote navigation server.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein:

the remote navigation server is substantially automated; and

said communicating the desired location to the remote navigation server is accomplished via the internet.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein the desired location is communicated to the remote navigation server from a hand-held communication device.

9. A method according to claim 1 including:

providing a remote navigation website; and

establishing a user account having a profile at the remote navigation website;

and wherein communicating the desired location to the remote navigation server includes storing the desired destination location in association with a selected user account profile, thereby enabling remote destination programming.

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein:

the remote navigation server is substantially automated; and

said communicating a desired location to the remote navigation server comprises;

establishing a voice channel connection between a user handheld device and the remote navigation server via a wireless telecommunication network; and

then

transmitting data defining the desired destination location through the voice channel connection using in-band signaling.

11. A method for personal navigation to a desired destination location, the method comprising:

(a) communicating a desired location to a remote navigation server; and

(b) downloading navigation data from the remote navigation server to a selected portable navigation device so as to program the device with the user'"'"'s desired location, thereby relieving the user of the burden of manually programming the portable navigation device.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein:

the remote navigation server is substantially automated; and

said communicating a desired location to the remote navigation server is accomplished via a data service of a wireless telecommunication network.

13. A method according to claim 12 wherein the data service of a wireless telecommunication network comprises an SMS service.

14. A method according to claim 12 and further comprising communicating a confirmation message from the remote navigation server to a selected user communication device.

15. A method according to claim 11 wherein:

the remote navigation server is substantially automated; and

said communicating the desired location to the remote navigation server is accomplished via the internet.

16. A method according to claim 12 including sending a confirmation message from the remote navigation server to the user via the Internet.

17. A method according to claim 12 including:

storing user data in a profile at the remote navigation server; and

sending a confirmation message from the remote navigation server to a wireless communication device specified in the corresponding stored user profile.

18. A navigation server implemented as a collection of executable computer code components stored in machine-readable media and accessible for execution on a server hardware system, the navigation server code components comprising:

a first process for communicating with a remote user of the navigation server;

the communication process adapted to upload and store destination data received from the user that defines a desired location to which the user would travel;

the communication process further adapted to upload and store target device data received from the user that identifies a target GPS-enabled navigation device associated with the stored destination data; and

a second process for downloading programming information from the navigation server to the target GPS-enabled navigation device so as to program the target device with the user'"'"'s desired location, thereby relieving the user of the burden of manually programming the target GPS-enabled navigation device.

19. A navigation server implemented according to claim 18 wherein the first process for communicating with a remote user of the navigation server comprises means for communicating with the user via a wireless telecommunications network.

20. A navigation server implemented according to claim 18 wherein the first process for communicating with a remote user of the navigation server comprises means for communicating with the user via a web page.

21. A navigation server implemented according to claim 18 wherein the process for downloading programming information from the navigation server to the target GPS-enabled navigation device so as to program the target device communicates with the target device via the internet.

22. A navigation server implemented according to claim 18 wherein the process for downloading programming information from the navigation server to the target GPS-enabled navigation device to program the target device communicates with the target device by first downloading the programming information to a selected communication device that can be associated with the target device, responsive to which the selected communication device passes the programming information on to the target device to remotely program the target device.

23. A navigation server implemented according to claim 22 wherein:

the process for downloading destination programming information communicates with the selected communication device via a wireless telecommunications network;

the process for downloading destination programming information communicates with the selected communication device via an in-band signaling modem so as to pass data through a voice channel connection of the wireless telecommunications network;

and the selected communication device passes the destination programming information on to the target device via a short-range wireless connection.