System and Method for Travel Route Planning

• US 20090327508A1
• Filed: 06/30/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Strasters, Jeffrey, McCarthy, Mary, Haeuser, Anthony A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,595,341 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/433 Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17327 with deferred transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

A system comprises a server operable to deliver an Internet Protocol Television stream to a display device at a customer premises, and operable to associate a first traffic camera with a route profile. The server is also operable to receive a request to retrieve the route profile, receive a first image from the first traffic camera, and send the first image to the display device.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a server operable to deliver an Internet Protocol Television stream to a display device at a customer premises, and operable to;

associate a first traffic camera with a route profile;

receive a request to retrieve the route profile;

receive a first image from the first traffic camera; and

send the first image to the display device.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the server is further operable to:

associate a second traffic camera with the route profile;

receive a second image from the second traffic camera; and

send the second image to the display.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the server is further operable to:

combine the first image and the second image into a third image; and

send the third image to the display.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the server is further operable to:

create the route profile from points entered on a map displayed on the display; and

select the first traffic camera from among a plurality of cameras that are on a route including the points.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the server is further operable to:

create a route from a starting point and a destination.

6. A method comprising:

associating, at a server operable to deliver an Internet Protocol Television stream to a display device at a customer premises, a first traffic camera with a route profile;

receiving a request from an apparatus to retrieve the route profile;

receiving a first image from the first traffic camera; and

sending the first image to the apparatus.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

associating a second traffic camera with the route profile;

receiving a second image from the second traffic camera; and

sending the second image to the apparatus.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein sending the first and second images to the apparatus includes combining the first image and the second image into a third image, and sending the third image to the apparatus.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

associating the route profile with points entered on a map displayed on the apparatus; and

selecting the first traffic camera from among a plurality of cameras that are on a route including the points.

10. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

creating a route from a starting point and a destination.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein the apparatus includes a set top box.

12. A machine-executable code for a computer system, wherein the machine-executable code is embedded within a tangible medium and includes instructions for carrying out a method comprising:

associating, at a server operable to deliver an Internet Protocol Television stream to a display device at a customer premises, a first traffic camera with a route profile;

receiving a request from an apparatus to retrieve the route profile;

receiving a first image from the first traffic camera; and

sending the first image to the apparatus.

13. The machine-executable code of claim 12 wherein the method further comprises:

associating a second traffic camera with the route profile;

receiving a second image from the second traffic camera; and

sending the second image to the apparatus.

14. The machine executable code of claim 13 wherein sending the first and second images to the apparatus includes combining the first image and the second image into a third image, and sending the third image to the apparatus.

15. The machine executable code of claim 12 wherein the method further comprises:

associating the route profile with points entered on a map displayed on the apparatus; and

selecting the first traffic camera from among a plurality of cameras that are on a route including the points.

16. The machine executable code of claim 12 wherein the method further comprises:

creating a route from a starting point and a destination.

17. A set-top box comprising:

a processor operable to receive an Internet Protocol stream from a server for display on a television, and operable to send a first image to the television, wherein the server associates a first traffic camera with a route profile;

receives a request to retrieve the route profile; and

receives the first image from the first traffic camera.

18. The set-top box of claim 17 wherein the server further associates a second traffic camera with the route profile;

receives a second image from the second traffic camera; and

sends the second image to the television.

19. The set-top box of claim 18 wherein the server further combines the first image and the second image into a third image;

and sends the third image to the television.

20. The set-top box of claim 17 wherein the server further creates the route profile from points entered on a map displayed on the television;

and selects the first traffic camera from among a plurality of cameras that are on a route including the points.

21. The set-top box of claim 17 wherein the server further creates a route from a starting point and a destination.