FOLLOW ME NAVIGATION SYSTEM

• US 20130245939A1
• Filed: 03/19/2012
• Published: 09/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.), Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.), Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: CHANG, Patricia Ruey-Jane, DRAZNIN, Sagiv, KOTECHA, Lalit R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,965,692 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/527
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3438 Rendez-vous, i.e. searching a destination where several users can meet, and the routes to this destination for these users; Ride sharing, i.e. searching a route such that at least two users can share a vehicle for at least part of the route
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3641 Personalized guidance, e.g. limited guidance on previously travelled routes

Abstract

A first navigation device records first direction information as the first navigation device traverses a route from a first location to a second location, and transmits the first direction information to a second navigation device while the second navigation device is following the first navigation along the route. After recording the first direction information and while transmitting the first direction information, the first navigation device records second direction information as the first navigation device traverses the route from the second location to a third location. The first navigation device transmits the second direction information to the second navigation device. The first direction information and the second direction information include information that allows the second navigation device to follow the route traversed by the first navigation device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

recording, by a first navigation device, direction information as the first navigation device traverses a route from a first location to a second location; and

transmitting, by the first navigation device, the direction information to a second navigation device while the second navigation device is following the first navigation device along the route,

the direction information comprising information that allows the second navigation device to follow the route traversed by the first navigation device, and

the direction information being recorded by the first navigation device while the direction information is being transmitted to the second navigation device.

2. The method of claim 1, where recording the direction information comprises:

recording location information associated with the first navigation device,

recording messages provided by a user of the first navigation device, and

creating the direction information based on the location information and the messages.

3. The method of claim 2,

where a first message, of the messages, is associated with a particular location of the route, and

where the direction information prompts the second navigation device to play the first message when the second navigation device is located at the particular location.

4. The method of claim 2, where the location information comprises information associated with at least one path and a distance traveled by the first navigation device along the highway or the street.

5. The method of claim 2, where the messages comprise at least one of audio messages, textual messages, images, or videos.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an interface to a user of the first navigation device;

receiving an identifier of the second navigation device via the interface; and

connecting the first navigation device to the second navigation device based on the identifier.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from a user of the first navigation device, a command to terminate the recording of the direction information; and

terminating the recording of the direction information based on the command.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining, based on the command, that the recording of the direction information has been terminated; and

transmitting, to the second navigation device, a signal that indicates that the recording of the direction information has been terminated.

9. The method of claim 7, where the first navigation device comprises at least one of a computer device or a mobile device.

10. A first navigation device comprising:

a processor to;

record first direction information as the first navigation device traverses a route from a first location to a second location,

transmit the first direction information to a second navigation device while the second navigation device is following the first navigation device along the route,

record, after recording the first direction information and while transmitting the first direction information, second direction information as the first navigation device traverses the route from the second location to a third location, and

transmit the second direction information to the second navigation device,

the first direction information and the second direction information comprising information that allows the second navigation device to follow the route traversed by the first navigation device.

11. The first navigation device of claim 10, where the processor is further to:

provide an interface to a user of the first navigation device,

receive an identifier of the second navigation device via the interface, and

connect the first navigation device to the second navigation device based on the identifier.

12. The first navigation device of claim 10, where, when transmitting the first direction information to the second navigation device, the processor is to:

transmit the first direction information to a server that forwards the first direction information to the second navigation device.

13. The first navigation device of claim 10, where the processor is further to:

determine whether the recording of the second direction information has been terminated, and

transmit, to the second navigation device, a signal that indicates that the recording of the second direction information has been terminated when the recording of the second direction information has been terminated.

14. The first navigation device of claim 13, where, when determining whether the recording of the second direction information has been terminated, the processor is to:

determine that the recording of the second direction information has been terminated when a user of the first navigation device commands the first navigation device to terminate the recording of the second direction information or to turn off the first navigation device.

15. The first navigation device of claim 10, where the first direction information and the second direction information comprise:

identifiers of one or more paths traveled by the first navigation device while traversing the route, and

one or more distances traveled by the first navigation device along each of the one or more roads.

16. The first navigation device of claim 15, where the first direction information and the second direction information further comprise at least one of:

an audio message associated with a first location of the route,

a text message associated with a second location of the route, or

a speed of the first navigation device at the first location or the second location.

17. A computer-readable medium, comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a first device, cause the one or more processors to;

determine a first location of the first device while the first device is following a second device along a route,

receive direction information from the second device while the first device is following the second device along the route,

the direction information comprising a second location of the second device,

determine the route based on the first location and the direction information,

display driving directions for the first device based on the route,

the driving directions including information directing the first device to the second location,

display a first item that corresponds to the first device at the first location, and

display, while displaying the driving directions and the first item, a second item that corresponds to the second device at the second location.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors of the first device, cause the one or more processors to;

determine a third location of the first device,

receive additional direction information from the second device,

the additional direction information comprising a fourth location of the second device,

determine the route, for the first device, based on the second location, the third location, and the fourth location,

display new driving directions for the first device based on the route, the new driving directions including information directing the first device to the fourth location via the second location.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors of the first device, cause the one or more processors to;

determine a distance between the first device and the second device based on the first location and the second location, and

display information that specifies the determined distance.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17,

where the direction information further comprises a voice message recorded by a user of the second device at the second location, and

where the computer-readable medium further comprises:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors of the first device, cause the one or more processors to;

play the voice message when the first device is at the second location.