Navigation System and Methods for Generating Enhanced Search Results

• US 20100168994A1
• Filed: 12/29/2008
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Gupta, Sanjay, Hansen, Mark, Bourque, Francis
• Granted Patent: US 8,600,577 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096888 where input information is obtained using learning systems, e.g. history databases

Abstract

A navigation system and various methods of using the system are described herein. Search query results generated by the system are listed and prioritized based upon travel related information and contextual information. Intermediary locations can be accessed based upon prioritizing search queries.

Claims

1. A navigation system comprising:

a graphical user interface configured for receiving and displaying travel related data;

a map database containing geographic related data;

a historical database containing geographic travel related historical data and contextual travel related historical data; and

a search engine configured to perform a process for providing ranked search query results, the process comprising the steps of;

initiating a search query, generating a list of results based upon the search query;

prioritizing the results based in-part upon data accessed from the historical database and map database, and displaying the list in the interface based upon the prioritizing.

2. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the contextual travel related data includes information selected from the group comprising frequency of destination visits, search query time, time-of-day associated with previous search queries, current directional travel, weather conditions, traffic conditions, current time of day and frequency of current route.

3. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the historical database is configured to identify music recently played by a user and assigns a mood value to the music, wherein the prioritizing is at least in part based upon the mood value.

4. The navigation system according to claim 1, wherein the historical database includes information selected from the group consisting of previous search queries, prior travel routes, prior locations visited, type of prior location visited and deviation distance from route for previously chosen locations.

5. The navigation system according to claim 2, wherein search results are prioritized and listed based at least in part upon previous travel and query selections.

6. For use in conjunction with a navigation system, a method for conveying enhanced search query results comprising the steps of:

initiating a search query based at least in part upon a final destination;

accessing a map database configured for storing geographic information;

accessing historical travel related information from a relational database;

accessing contextual travel related information from a relational database;

generating a list of intermediary destination results based at least in part upon the search query;

prioritizing the list based at least in part upon historical and contextual travel related information; and

displaying the prioritized results on a navigation system graphical interface.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein a user selects a final destination prior to initiating the search query.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of retrieving geographical map related information, historical travel related information and contextual travel related information;

and prioritizing a search query list based at least in part upon prior travel data.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the prioritizing is determined at least in part upon the frequency of visits associated with each of the search results.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein the prioritizing is determined at least in part by the time of day associated with the search query.

11. The method according to claim 6, wherein the prioritizing is determined at least in part by music played concurrent with the search query.

12. The method according to claim 6, wherein the prioritizing is determined at least in part by locations visited within about 1 hour of the search query.

13. The method according to claim 6, wherein the prioritizing is determined at least in part by the distance associated with a predetermined final destination.

14. The method according to claim 6, wherein the geographic information includes roadway information.

15. The method according to claim 6, wherein the intermediary destination is a location other than a starting location and the final destination.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the intermediary destination is proximal to a final destination route.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the intermediary destination is distal to a final destination route.

18. A navigation system that facilitates conveying enhanced query results, comprising:

an interface component that receives a query corresponding to geographical destination; and

a visual component that employs a search result based at least in part upon the query, wherein search results are prioritized based upon historical travel data and travel-based contextual data.

19. A method of conveying search query results comprising the steps of:

initiating a search query based at least in part upon a final destination;

accessing a map database;

accessing historical travel related information from a database;

accessing contextual travel related information from a database;

generating a list of intermediary destination results based at least in part upon the search query, historical travel related information and contextual travel related information; and

displaying the list on a graphical interface.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the graphical interface is a navigation system.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein at least one database is at a remote location and accessing is performed wirelessly.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein a user selects a final destination prior to initiating the search query.

23. The method according to claim 20, wherein the intermediary destination is a location other than a starting location and a final destination.

24. The method according to claim 20, further comprising the steps of identifying a user and accessing data from a database associated with the user.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the identifying comprises accessing a wireless device associated with the user.