DOWNLOADING MAP SEGMENT(S) TO A CELL PHONE BASED UPON ITS GPS COORDINATES AND MOBILITY

• US 20110196609A1
• Filed: 04/19/2011
• Published: 08/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bennett, James D., Karaoguz, Jeyhan
• Granted Patent: US 8,108,145 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance

Abstract

A wireless terminal displays its location and navigation information (map segment) on its display. The wireless terminal accesses a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver of the wireless terminal to determine its location coordinates. The wireless terminal determines a maximum data size for navigation information to be downloaded. The wireless terminal sends a navigation information download request to a map server via a supporting wireless network infrastructure that includes the location coordinates and the maximum data size. The wireless terminal receives navigation information that has a data size no greater than the maximum data size and displays the navigation information on the display. The wireless terminal may display a map segment and an icon representing the wireless terminal at a location corresponding to the location coordinates of the wireless terminal with respect to the map segment. The wireless terminal may download a premises map from a premises map server.

Claims

1. A wireless terminal comprising:

a wireless interface;

a user interface including a display;

a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver; and

a processing unit communicatively coupled to the wireless interface, the user interface, and the GPS receiver and operable to;

determine location coordinates of the wireless terminal;

determine a maximum data size for a map segment download based upon at least a data size of available memory;

transmit a map segment download request via a supporting wireless network infrastructure to a map server, the map segment download request including location coordinates of the wireless terminal and the maximum data size;

receive a map segment via the supporting wireless network from the map server, the map segment having a level of resolution that is selected by the map server based upon the maximum data size; and

display the map segment on the display.

2. The wireless terminal of claim 1, wherein the maximum data size is further based upon an estimated data size required for other application uses.

3. The wireless terminal of claim 1, wherein the map segment includes a level of detail to meet the maximum data size.

4. The wireless terminal of claim 1, wherein the map segment has geographic boundaries to meet the maximum data size.

5. The wireless terminal of claim 1, wherein the map segment includes textual navigation information to meet the maximum data size.

6. The wireless terminal of claim 1, wherein the map segment is selected from a plurality of available map segments to meet the maximum data size.

7. The wireless terminal of claim 6, wherein the map segment includes a plurality of contiguous map sub-segments that make up the map segment.

8. A wireless terminal comprising:

a wireless interface;

a user interface including a display;

a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver; and

a processing unit communicatively coupled to the wireless interface, the user interface, and the GPS receiver and operable to;

determine location coordinates of the wireless terminal;

determine a maximum data size for a map segment download based upon a data size of available memory;

transmit a map segment download request via a supporting wireless network infrastructure to a map server, the map segment download request including location coordinates of the wireless terminal and the maximum data size;

receive a map segment via the supporting wireless network from the map server, the map segment having a level of resolution that is selected by the map server based upon the maximum data size; and

based upon user input, provide additional data with regard to a geographic feature identified on the map segment.

9. The wireless terminal of claim 8, wherein determining the maximum data size for the map segment download is further based upon an estimated data size required for other application uses.

10. The wireless terminal of claim 8, wherein the map segment includes a level of detail to meet the maximum data size.

11. The wireless terminal of claim 8, wherein the map segment is selected from a plurality of available map segments to meet the maximum data size.

12. The wireless terminal of claim 8, wherein the map segment includes a plurality of contiguous map sub-segments that make up the map segment.

13. The wireless terminal of claim 8, wherein in providing additional data with regard to a geographic feature identified in the map segment the processing circuitry is operable to:

transmit a navigation information download request via the supporting wireless network infrastructure to a map server; and

receive the navigation information via the supporting wireless network from the map server that includes the additional data.

14. A premises wireless access point comprising:

a wireless interface; and

a processing unit communicatively coupled to the wireless interface and operable to;

establish wireless communications with a wireless terminal proximate to the premises wireless access point;

receive premises map data from a premises map server, wherein the premises map data comprises;

a plurality of points of interest within the premises; and

Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates respective to the plurality of points of interest; and

transmit the premises map data to the wireless terminal.

15. The premises wireless access point of claim 14, wherein the processing unit is further operable to:

receive GPS coordinates from the wireless terminal; and

transmit the GPS coordinates to the premises map server.

16. The premises wireless access point of claim 15, wherein the map data is based upon the GPS coordinates received from the wireless terminal.

17. The premises wireless access point of claim 14, wherein the processing unit is further operable to:

receive a map segment download request from the wireless terminal, the map segment download request including GPS coordinates of the wireless terminal;

transmit the map segment download request to the map server that includes the GPS coordinates of the wireless terminal;

receive a map segment from the map server that corresponds to the GPS coordinates; and

transmit the map segment to the wireless terminal.

18. The premises wireless access point of claim 14, wherein the processing unit is further operable to:

receive a map segment download request from the wireless terminal, the map segment download request including a maximum data size;

transmit the map segment download request to the map server that includes the maximum data size;

receive a map segment from the map server that corresponds to the maximum data size; and

transmit the map segment to the wireless terminal.

19. A premises map server comprising:

a communications interface; and

a processing unit communicatively coupled to the communications interface and operable to;

establish communications with a wireless terminal via a premises wireless access point; and

download premises map data to the wireless terminal via the premises wireless access point, wherein the premises map data comprises;

a plurality of points of interest within the premises; and

Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates respective to the plurality of points of interest.

20. The premises map server of claim 19, wherein the processing circuitry is further operable to:

receive Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates from the wireless terminal; and

create the map data based upon the GPS coordinates of the wireless terminal.

21. The premises map server of claim 19, wherein the processing circuitry is further operable to:

receive a map segment download request from the wireless terminal via the premises wireless access point, the map segment download request including GPS coordinates of the wireless terminal;

create a map segment that corresponds to the GPS coordinates; and

transmit the map segment to the wireless terminal via the premises wireless access point.

22. The premises map server of claim 19, wherein the processing circuitry is further operable to:

receive a map segment download request from the wireless terminal via the premises wireless access point, the map segment download request including a maximum data size;

create a map segment that corresponds to the maximum data size; and

transmit the map segment to the wireless terminal via the premises wireless access point.

23. A premises map server comprising:

a communications interface; and

a processing unit communicatively coupled to the communications interface and operable to;

receive a map segment download request from a wireless terminal via at least a supporting wireless network infrastructure, the map segment download request including location coordinates of the wireless terminal;

send a maximum data size request to the wireless terminal;

receive a maximum data size response from the wireless terminal;

create navigation information that contains a map segment and that corresponds to the maximum data size response, the map segment having a level of resolution that is selected based upon the maximum data size; and

transmit the navigation information to the wireless terminal via the at least one supporting wireless network infrastructure.

24. The premises map server of claim 23, wherein the map segment has a level of resolution that is selected based upon the maximum data size response.

25. The premises map server of claim 23, wherein in creating the navigation information, the processing circuitry is operable to select a level of detail of the map segment based upon the maximum data size response.

26. The premises map server of claim 23, wherein in creating the navigation information the processing circuitry is operable to select geographic boundaries of the map segment based upon the maximum data size response.

27. The premises map server of claim 23, wherein in creating the navigation information, the processing circuitry is operable to select textual navigation information to be sent in conjunction with the map segment based upon the maximum data size response.

28. The premises map server of claim 23, wherein in creating the navigation information, the processing circuitry is operable to select the map segment from a plurality of available map segments based upon the maximum data size response.

29. The premises map server of claim 28, wherein in selecting the map segment from the plurality of available map segments to meet the maximum data size, the processing circuitry is operable to select a plurality of contiguous map sub-segments to make up the map segment.