SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OBTAINING, IN A VEHICLE, INFORMATION CONCERNING POINTS OF INTEREST

• US 20080262725A1
• Filed: 04/20/2007
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Whitaker, Matthew, Reyna, Emily, Srinivasan, Hari, Kurecka, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 8,892,351 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network

Abstract

To obtain point of interest information in a vicinity of a vehicle, the vehicle selects a reference point away from the current location of the vehicle. A region is formed, including the current location of the vehicle, based on the reference point. Points of interest falling within the region are communicated to the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining, in a vehicle, information concerning points of interest, the method comprising:

determining vehicle geographic coordinates defining a current location of the vehicle;

selecting reference geographic coordinates defining a reference point located a distance away from the current location of the vehicle;

determining region geographic coordinates defining a region including the current location of the vehicle based on the reference geographic coordinates;

requesting information regarding points of interest located within the region from a remote information provider, the request including the region geographic coordinates;

receiving information regarding points of interest located within the region from the remote information provider; and

presenting information regarding the points of interest located within the region to an occupant of the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the distance is a predefined distance.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the distance is less than a predefined limit.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the distance is randomly selected.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the region is a geometric region.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the region is a square.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the region is a circle.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining a direction of travel of the vehicle and wherein the reference geographic coordinates are selected based on the direction of travel of the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the reference point is at the center of the region.

10. A method for obtaining, in a vehicle, information concerning points of interest, the method comprising:

determining vehicle geographic coordinates defining a current location of the vehicle;

selecting reference geographic coordinates defining a reference point located a distance away from the current location of the vehicle;

requesting information regarding points of interest in the vicinity of the reference point from a remote information provider, the request including the reference geographic coordinates;

receiving information regarding points of interest in the vicinity of the reference point from the remote information provider; and

presenting information regarding the points of interest in the vicinity of the reference point to an occupant of the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the distance is a predefined distance.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the distance is less than a predefined limit.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the wherein the distance is randomly selected.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising determining a direction of travel of the vehicle and wherein the reference geographic coordinates are selected based on the direction of travel of the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the vehicle and reference geographic coordinates comprise global positioning data.

16. A system for obtaining, in a vehicle, information concerning points of interest, the system comprising:

a location module for determining vehicle geographic coordinates defining a current location of the vehicle;

a processing module for

selecting reference geographic coordinates defining a reference point located a distance away from the current location of the vehicle, and

determining region geographic coordinates defining a region including the current location of the vehicle based on the reference geographic coordinates,

a communication module for

requesting information regarding points of interest located within the region from a remote information provider, the request including the region geographic coordinates, and

receiving information regarding points of interest located within the region from the remote information provider; and

a display module for presenting information regarding the points of interest located within the region to an occupant of the vehicle.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the distance is a predefined distance.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the distance is less than a predefined limit.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the processing module further determines a direction of travel of the vehicle and wherein the reference geographic coordinates are selected based on the direction of travel of the vehicle.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein the reference geographic coordinates are randomly selected within a predefined range.