Method and System for Guiding a Person to a Location

• US 20080215202A1
• Filed: 04/03/2008
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intelligent Technologies International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intelligent Technologies International, Inc.
• Inventors: Breed, David S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,177,476 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/25
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3423 Multimodal routing, i.e. combining two or more modes of transportation, where the modes can be any of, e.g. driving, walking, cycling, public transport
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3611 using character input or menus, e.g. menus of POIs character input methods in general G06F3/0233
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3694 Output thereof on a road map
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0967 Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services

Abstract

Method and system for guiding a person to a location includes providing a processor, coupling an operator control such as a user interface to the processor to enable the person to enter a phone number which is provided to the processor, the processor being arranged to determine a physical location associated with the entered phone number, and guiding the person to the physical location associated with the entered phone number as determined by the processor. The method may be implemented in a vehicle context whereby the processor is arranged on a vehicle and the person is guided to the physical location by controlling a steering system, a throttle and/or brakes of the vehicle to automatically guide the vehicle to the physical location. Alternatively, the person may be guided to the physical location by providing audible and/or visual directions to the person operating the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for guiding a person to a location, comprising:

providing a processor;

coupling an operator control to the processor to enable the person to enter a phone number which is provided to the processor, the processor being arranged to determine a physical location associated with the entered phone number; and

guiding the person to the physical location associated with the entered phone number as determined by the processor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor is arranged on a vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of guiding the person to the physical location comprises controlling at least one of a steering system, a throttle and brakes of the vehicle to automatically guide the vehicle to the physical location.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of guiding the person to the physical location comprises providing audible and/or visual directions to the person operating the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising verifying that the entered phone number is associated with a fixed physical location prior to guiding the person to the physical location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor is arranged in a hand-held device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of guiding the person to the physical location comprises providing audible and/or visual directions to the person.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor is arranged to determine the physical location associated with the entered phone number using a look-up table.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor is arranged to determine the physical location associated with the entered phone number by accessing a reverse directory via a communications network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein when the entered phone number is a cell phone number, the processor is arranged to determine a physical location associated with the entered phone number by contacting a user of the cell phone to obtain permission for the cell phone to determine its location and provide its determined location to the processor.

14. A vehicle comprising the system of claim 10, said guide means being arranged to provide audible and/or visual directions to the operator of the vehicle to the physical location.

11. A system for guiding a person to a location, comprising:

a processor;

operator controls coupled to said processor to enable the person to enter a phone number, said processor being arranged to determine a physical location associated with the entered phone number; and

guide means for guiding the person to the physical location associated with the entered phone number as determined by said processor.

12. A vehicle comprising the system of claim 11, said guide means being arranged to guide the vehicle and thus the person therein to the physical location.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein said guide means comprise:

a steering servo for controlling steering of the vehicle;

a throttle servo for controlling a throttle of the vehicle; and

a brake servo for controlling braking of the vehicle,

said processor being arranged to provide commands to at least one of said steering servo, said throttle servo and said brake servo to automatically guide the vehicle to the physical location.

15. A hand-held device comprising the system of claim 11, said guide means being arranged to provide audible and/or visual directions to the person holding the system to the physical location.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein said processor is arranged to determine the physical location associated with the entered phone number using a look-up table.

17. The system of claim 11, further comprising a communications unit coupled to said processor to enable said processor to access a reverse directory via a communications network in order to determine the physical location associated with the entered phone number.