SYSTEM SERVING A REMOTELY ACCESSIBLE PAGE AND METHOD FOR REQUESTING NAVIGATION RELATED INFORMATION

• US 20080306681A1
• Filed: 06/05/2007
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Ross, Steven J., Johnson, Richard A., Piwowarski, James J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,412,452 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/207
• 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 1/096822 where the segments of the route are transmitted to the vehicle at different locations and times
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA

Abstract

A system serving a remotely accessible page includes a server and the remotely accessible page operatively connected to the server. The remotely accessible page includes a first activation option for initiating a navigation function utilizing no starting point or a starting point entered by a user, and a second activation option for initiating a navigation function utilizing a starting point obtained by the system from a vehicle.

Claims

1. A system serving a remotely accessible page, comprising:

a server; and

the remotely accessible page operatively connected to the server, the remotely accessible page including;

a first activation option for initiating a navigation function utilizing no starting point or a starting point entered by a user; and

a second activation option for initiating a navigation function utilizing a starting point obtained by the system from a vehicle.

2. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the navigation function is executed by a computer based location mapping system, a computer based navigation system, or combinations thereof.

3. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the remotely accessible page further comprises a graphical indicia representing a make and model of the vehicle.

4. The system as defined in claim 3 wherein the graphical indicia is based upon information in an account of the user accessing the remotely accessible page.

5. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the vehicle includes an in-vehicle telematics unit in operative communication with a location detection system and in selective operative communication with the server.

6. The system as defined in claim 5 wherein the server is configured to receive the starting point from the in-vehicle telematics unit.

7. The system as defined in claim 6 wherein the server initiates a request responsive to a user selection of the second activation option, and wherein the in-vehicle telematics unit is responsive to the request from the server.

8. The system as defined in claim 1, further comprising a call center in operative communication with the server and in operative communication with an in-vehicle telematics unit.

9. The system as defined in claim 8 wherein the server initiates a request responsive to a user selection of the second activation option, and wherein the call center is responsive to the request from the server.

10. A method for requesting navigation related information, the method comprising:

accessing a remotely accessible page; and

initiating a navigation function using a first activation option or a second activation option of the remotely accessible page, wherein the first activation option utilizes no starting point or a starting point entered by a user, and wherein the second activation option utilizes a starting point obtained from a vehicle.

11. The method as defined in claim 10 wherein a server operatively connected to the remotely accessible page receives the starting point from the vehicle prior to initiation of the navigation function.

12. The method as defined in claim 10 wherein the second activation option is selected to initiate the navigation function, and wherein the method further comprises:

initiating a request for the starting point responsive to selection of the second activation option; and

transmitting the starting point to the remotely accessible page.

13. The method as defined in claim 12 wherein prior to transmitting the starting point, the method further comprises:

receiving the request at an in-vehicle telematics unit; and

determining the starting point at the in-vehicle telematics unit.

14. The method as defined in claim 12 wherein prior to transmitting the starting point, the method further comprises:

receiving the request at a call center;

attempting to communication with an in-vehicle telematics unit;

if the in-vehicle telematics unit is unavailable, checking a memory location for stored vehicle position; and

transmitting the stored vehicle position as the starting point.

15. The method as defined in claim 12 wherein prior to transmitting the starting point, the method further comprises:

receiving the request at a call center;

attempting to communicate with an in-vehicle telematics unit; and

if the in-vehicle telematics unit is available, receiving the starting point from the in-vehicle telematics unit.

16. The method as defined in claim 10, further comprising storing a destination location in a user account that is accessible via the remotely accessible page.

17. The method as defined in claim 16, further comprising:

receiving the starting point; and

generating at least a partial route from the starting point to the stored destination location.

18. The method as defined in claim 17, further comprising informing the user, via the remotely accessible page, that the at least partial route has been generated.

19. The method as defined in claim 18 wherein informing the user includes illustrating, via the remotely accessible page, text instructing the user to activate a vehicle button to retrieve the at least partial route.

20. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein the at least partial route is a partial route, and wherein the method further comprises:

requesting, from the vehicle, directions to the stored destination location;

transmitting the partial route to the vehicle; and

generating a remainder of the route; and

transmitting the remainder of the route to the vehicle.

21. The method as defined in claim 10, further comprising:

receiving the starting point;

receiving a destination location; and

generating directions from the starting point to the destination location.

22. The method as defined in claim 21 wherein generating the directions is accomplished at a call center in operative communication with a server hosting the remotely accessible page.

23. The method as defined in claim 10 wherein the first activation option and no starting point are selected to initiate the navigation function, and wherein the method further comprises:

saving at least one destination location via a server in operative communication with the remotely accessible page;

retrieving the at least one destination location upon request from the vehicle;

determining a starting point from the vehicle or a user therein; and

generating a route from the starting point to the at least one destination location.

24. A method for formulating navigational directions for a vehicle, the method comprising:

accessing a remotely accessible page;

initiating a directions function using a first activation option or a second activation option of the remotely accessible page, wherein the first activation option utilizes no starting point or a starting point entered by a user, and wherein the second activation option utilizes a starting point obtained from a vehicle;

receiving the starting point at the remotely accessible page;

inputting a destination location to the remotely accessible page;

generating navigational directions based upon the starting point and the destination location; and

transmitting the navigational directions to an in-vehicle telematics unit upon demand.