CONDUCTING LOCALIZED SEARCHES IN A WIRELESS CLIENT-SERVER NAVIGATION SYSTEM

• US 20080275638A1
• Filed: 05/02/2008
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZAMA Innovations LLC
• Original Assignee: Ian Cummings
• Inventors: Cummings, Ian
• Granted Patent: US 8,116,974 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3476 using point of interest [POI] information, e.g. a route passing visible POIs
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for conducting searches and generating routes to selected points of interest using a wireless client-server (WCS) navigator. A method includes the step of requesting, at a mobile unit, information about one or more locations meeting certain criteria. Locations meeting the criteria are displayed on the display screen at the location of the user and, if a location is selected, a route to include the selected location is automatically generated. Guidance regarding how to travel to the selected location may also be provided. If the user is already en route to a destination when a route to a selected location is requested, the navigator may generate a route that includes both the original destination and the selected new location. If the user is already en route to a destination when locations matching criteria are requested, along with the locations displayed the navigator may provide information to the user as to the total travel time or distance of a route passing through the original destination and a new location or the additional travel time or distance in comparison to the original route. The method may further include the step of requesting information about a class of locations such as restaurants.

Claims

1. A method of route generation in a wireless client-server (WCS) navigator of the type wherein an original route and map generation are performed at a central location and transmitted to a mobile unit having a display screen, the method comprising the steps of:

requesting, at the mobile unit, information about one or more locations meeting certain criteria;

displaying the locations on the display screen; and

if a location is selected, automatically generating a route to include the selected location.

2. The method of claim 1, further including the step of providing guidance regarding how to travel to the selected location.

3. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of:

following an original route to a destination when information about one or more locations is requested; and

updating and displaying the original route to include the selected location.

4. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of:

following an original route to a destination when information about one or more locations is requested; and

providing information to the user as to the total travel time or distance of a route passing through the original destination and a new location or the additional travel time or distance in comparison to the original route.

5. The method of claim 1, further including the step of requesting information about a class of locations.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the class of locations includes restaurants.

7. A method of providing guidance in a wireless client-server navigation system to a location matching criteria input by a user, comprising the steps of:

receiving, at a mobile client, data representative of criteria for locations;

transmitting the mobile client data representative of criteria for locations from the mobile client to a central server;

searching a database at the central server for locations matching the criteria;

transmitting data representative of found locations and data associated with found locations matching the criteria from the central server to the mobile client;

transmitting data representative of maps of a vicinity proximate to the found locations from the central server to the mobile client;

presenting, at the mobile client, representations of the found locations and associated data;

receiving, at the mobile client, data representative of a selection of one of the found locations; and

providing guidance with the mobile client in the form of a moving map display upon which there is displayed representations of a map, the location of the mobile client updated on a real-time basis, the location of the selected location, and guidance for traveling from the mobile client'"'"'s location to the selected location.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the data associated with the found locations includes contact information of a party associated with the location.

9. A method of providing guidance with a wireless client-server navigation system to a location matching criteria, comprising the steps of:

receiving, at a mobile client, data representative of criteria for locations;

transmitting the mobile client data representative of criteria for locations from the mobile client to a central server;

searching a database of locations for locations matching the criteria;

transmitting data representative of and associated with found locations matching the criteria from the central server to the mobile client;

presenting, at the mobile client, representations of the found locations and associated data;

presenting representations of additional distance or travel time required to add the found locations to a route;

receiving at the mobile client data representative of a selection of one of the found locations; and

providing guidance with the mobile client from the mobile client'"'"'s location to the selected location.

10. A wireless client-server navigation system, comprising:

a mobile unit including;

a wireless transmitter for transmitting data representative of a criteria for selection of a location and a request for data representative of a location,

a receiver for receiving the data representative of the location and associated data, and

a display for displaying locations on a moving map display in real-time fashion; and

a central server including;

an input for receiving data describing map-related features in the form of line segments interconnecting points having coordinates,

a receiver for receiving the data and request from the mobile unit,

a processor for searching a database of locations according to said criteria, and

a transmitter for transmitting data representative of locations matching said criteria and associated data to the mobile unit.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the data associated with the found locations includes contact information associated with the location.