LOCATION INFORMATION MANAGEMENT METHOD AND APPARATUS OF MOBILE TERMINAL

• US 20110276267A1
• Filed: 04/27/2011
• Published: 11/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: JUNG, Jae Hee, PYO, Jong Sun, KWAK, Byoung Hoon, HEO, Dong Kyu, JUNG, Suk In
• Granted Patent: US 8,718,929 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• 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 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A method and apparatus for managing location information of a mobile terminal are provided. The method includes determining location information of a current position while in a Global Positioning System (GPS) reception mode, determining at least one of preference routes and interest sites within an interest area in a vicinity of the current position, and presenting at least one of the preference routes and the interest sites on a map. The present invention improves a user'"'"'s convenience and a utilization efficiency of the location information of the mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A location information management method of a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

determining location information of a current position while in a Global Positioning System (GPS) reception mode;

determining at least one of preference routes and interest sites within an interest area in a vicinity of the current position; and

presenting at least one of the preference routes and the interest sites on a map.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the at least one of the preference routes and the interest sites comprises:

searching for a point site stored in association with the interest area while predicting a movement direction of the mobile terminal; and

determining the preference route by linking the current position and the point site.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the at least one of the preference routes and the interest sites comprises determining interest sites comprising a preference value, equal to or greater than a threshold value, in association with the interest area and a current time.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the location information is determined while in a learning period.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining route points linked into a predicted route with the determined location information;

extracting at least one turning point at which an absolute angle between two path segments on the predicted route is greater than a threshold angle among the route points; and

saving the at least one turning point as a point site.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

extracting at least one stop point, at which a tarrying time exceeds a stop period, from the determined location information; and

saving the stop point as a point site.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising determining, when the interest sites are determined, a preference of each interest site according to one of the interest area and the current time.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the determining of the preference comprises:

determining interest categories for categorizing the interest sites, the interest categories being formed on at least one layer; and

determining the preference in accordance with the interest categories and at least one of the interest site and the current time.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the presenting comprises:

determining saved interest sites within the interest area including the point site; and

displaying the interest sites on the map.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the presenting comprises displaying, when an interest category is selected, interest sites belonging to the selected interest category.

11. A location information management apparatus of a mobile terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a Global Positioning System (GPS) module for receiving GPS data while in a GPS reception mode;

a control unit for determining location information of a current position by analyzing the GPS data;

a memory unit for saving at least one of preference routes and interest sites within an interest area in a vicinity of the current position; and

a presentation unit for presenting at least one of the preference routes and the interest sites on a map.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control unit searches for a point site stored in accordance with the interest area while predicting a movement direction of the apparatus, determines the preference route by linking the current position and the point site, and presents the preference route.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the control unit determines an interest site comprising a preference value equal to or greater than a threshold value in accordance with the interest area and a current time, and presents the interest site.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the control unit determines the location information while in a learning period.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the control unit comprises a route learner for determining route points linked into a predicted route with the determined location information, for extracting at least one turning point at which an absolute angle between two paths on the predicted route is greater than a threshold angle among the route points, and for saving the at least one turning point as a point site.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the control unit comprises a stop point determiner for extracting a stop point, at which a tarrying time exceeds a stop period, from the determined location information and saves the stop point as a point site.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the control unit comprises a preference learner for determining, when the interest sites are determined, a preference of each interest site according to at least one of the interest area and the current time.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the preference learner determines interest categories for categorizing the interest sites, the interest categories being formed on at least one layer, and determines the preference in accordance with the interest categories and at least one of the interest site and the current time.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the presentation unit determines the saved interest sites within the interest area including the point site and displays the interest sites on the map.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the presentation unit displays, when an interest category is selected, interest sites belonging to the interest category.