SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROGRAMMING AND DISPLAYING DIRECTIONALLY BASED TEXTUAL WAYFINDING CONTENT

• US 20140032110A1
• Filed: 07/23/2013
• Published: 01/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Four Winds Interactive LLC
• Original Assignee: Four Winds Interactive LLC
• Inventors: Simring, David Shapiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,037,402 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/533
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3626 Details of the output of route guidance instructions traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3644 Landmark guidance, e.g. using POIs or conspicuous other objects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/387 Organisation of map data, e.g. version management or database structures

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods related to managing and programming directional wayfinding content associated with a map. Embodiments include a system for programming directionally based textual instructions describing navigating to and from map locations along path segments between the locations. The textual instructions can then be arranged as output to a user in an order corresponding to a travel route to provide customizable textual instructions to a remote location that vary depending on the direction of the paths traversed in the route. Also disclosed are various methods and devices for delivering the textual instructions to an end user.

Claims

1. A method of programming wayfinding content using a wayfinding data content management system having a processor and a database coupled to the processor, comprising:

accessing a map file having data on one or more map locations and one or more paths between the map locations representing locations and routes on a map, wherein the paths include path segments intersecting map locations, and wherein path segments have directional aspects defined by directions of travel relative to the map locations;

providing a programming interface configured to program textual instructions corresponding to the directional aspects, wherein the programming interface includes text entry fields configured to accept manually composed textual instructions corresponding to the directional aspects, the textual instructions explaining the possible travel routes associated with the corresponding map location; and

storing the textual instructions in the database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the programming interface provides for each map location a number of text entry fields equal to the sum of the directional aspects of the path segments intersecting each location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the directional aspects include at least one direction of travel toward the corresponding map location, and at least one direction of travel away from the corresponding map location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the directional aspects include two directions of travel along a path segment ending at the corresponding map location.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the programming interface can accept separate textual instructions specific to each direction of travel along the path segment.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the programming interface includes a table structure having one or more rows, wherein a particular row includes the text entry field for programming the textual instructions corresponding to an individual directional aspect along a particular path segment ending at a given map location.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the programming interface includes rows for a particular path segment having at least one direction of travel toward the given map location, and at least one direction of travel away from the given map location along the path segment.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the table structure includes a number of rows with text entry fields equal to a sum of all the directions of travel for all path segments ending at the given map location.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a map on a display for a user;

allowing a user to select an ending map location;

calculating a travel route between a starting map location and the user selected ending map location by compiling a sequence of one or more path segments and one or more map locations between the starting and ending map locations;

retrieving from the database one or more route textual instructions corresponding to the directional aspects associated with the compiled sequence of map locations;

displaying the route textual instructions to the user in an order corresponding to the compiled sequence of map locations.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the route textual instructions are displayed to the user using one of the following devices:

PDA, smart phone, or tablet computer.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the route textual instructions are displayed to the user at a fixed distribution outlet location.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

transferring the route textual instructions to the user by one of the following;

printing the instructions on media, downloading the instructions to the user'"'"'s computer using a wired or wireless network, sending the instructions by SMS/text messaging service to the user, or providing a link for allowing users revisit the instructions.

13. A method of programming wayfinding content using a wayfinding data content management system that includes a programming environment, and one or more distribution environments having displays, comprising:

accessing a map file having data on one or more map locations and one or more paths between the map locations representing locations and routes on a map, wherein paths include path segments intersecting map locations, and wherein path segments have directional aspects defined by directions of travel relative to the map locations;

providing a programming interface configured to program textual instructions corresponding to the directional aspects, wherein the programming interface includes text entry fields configured to accept manually composed textual instructions corresponding to the directional aspects, the textual instructions explaining the possible travel routes associated with the corresponding map location;

displaying the map to users using a display at the one or more distribution enviromnents;

allowing a user at a distribution environment to select an ending map location;

calculating a travel route between a starting map location at the respective distribution environment and the selected ending map location by compiling a sequence of one or more path segments and one or more map locations between the starting and ending map locations;

retrieving one or more route textual instructions corresponding to the directional aspects associated with the compiled sequence of map locations; and

displaying the route textual instructions to the user in an order corresponding to the compiled sequence of map locations using the display.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

storing the programmed textual instructions in a database coupled to the programming environment; and

transferring the textual instructions to the one or more distribution environments.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the textual instructions may be manually reprogrammed using the programming interface when one or more map locations changes.

16. A method of programming wayfinding content using a wayfinding data content management system having a processor and a database coupled to the processor, comprising:

accessing a map file having data on one or more map locations and one or more paths between the map locations representing locations and routes on a map, wherein the paths include path segments intersecting map locations, and wherein the path segments have directional aspects defined by directions of travel relative to the map locations;

providing a programming interface configured to program textual instructions corresponding to the directional aspects, wherein the programming interface includes text entry fields configured to accept manually composed textual instructions corresponding to the directional aspects, the textual instructions explaining the possible travel routes associated with the corresponding map location, wherein the programming interface can accept separate textual instructions specific to each direction of travel along a map path segment ending at the corresponding map location; and

storing the textual instructions in the database.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the programming interface includes a table structure for programming the directional aspects for a given map location, the table having rows corresponding to directional aspects of the path segments, wherein the rows also include the text entry fields for programming the corresponding textual instructions.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the table structure includes a number of rows equal to a sum of all the directions of travel for all path segments ending at the given map location.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the programming interface provides for each map location a number of text entry fields equal to the sum of the directional aspects of the path segments intersecting each location.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the programming interface can accept separate textual instructions specific to each direction of travel along the path segments.