METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING NAVIGATION GUIDANCE VIA PROXIMATE DEVICES

• US 20160231122A1
• Filed: 02/11/2015
• Published: 08/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Inventors: BEAUREPAIRE, Jerome
• Granted Patent: US 9,448,079 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 with correlation of data from several navigational instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• 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 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

An approach is provided for connecting at least one first device with at least one second device proximate to at least one destination for navigation guidance. The approach involves determining at least one destination associated with at least one first device, at least one first user associated with the at least one first device, or a combination thereof. The approach also involves determining at least one second device, at least one second user associated with the at least one second device, or a combination thereof within at least one proximity threshold of the at least one destination. The approach further involves causing, at least in part, a transmission of at least one navigation assistance request from the at least one first device, that least one first user, or a combination thereof to the at least one second device, the at least one second user, or a combination thereof, wherein the at least one navigation assistance request seeks, at least in part, navigation guidance information related to the at least one destination, at least one point of interest associated with the at least one destination, or a combination thereof from the at least one second device, the at least one second user, or a combination thereof.

Claims

1. A method of connecting a first device associated with a first user with a second device associated with a second user that is proximate to a destination, for navigation guidance, comprising:

receiving at an configuration server a navigation assistance request from the first device sent over a communication network, the navigation assistance request including destination information of the destination, the configuration server comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the processor;

determines the second user associated with the second device based on the second user being within a proximity threshold of the destination; and

transmits the navigation assistance request from the first device to the second device associated with the second user,

wherein the navigation assistance request seeks navigation guidance information related to the destination from the second user,

wherein the second user is a pedestrian, and

wherein the navigation guidance information related to the destination that the first user seeks includes one or more of a main entrance associated with the destination, a parking location associated with the destination, an area to avoid when arriving at or leaving the destination, and a parking area to avoid at the destination.

2. A method of claim 1, wherein the navigation assistance request further includes first identification information associated with one or more of the first user and the first device, and wherein the first identification information includes one or more of descriptive text and one or more images of one or more of the first device, the first user, and a vehicle associated with the first user.

3. A method of claim 2, wherein a response to the navigation assistance request includes second identification information associated with one or more of the second device and the second user;

and wherein the second identification information includes one or more of descriptive text and one or more images of one or more of the second device and the second user.

4. A method of claim 1, wherein the processor further:

establishes at least one communication session between the first device and the second device,

wherein the at least one communication session is for conveying the navigation guidance information for identifying one or more of the first device, the first user, the second device, and the second user.

5. A method of claim 4, wherein the navigation guidance information comprises a shared mapping user interface including information annotated by one or more of the first device, the first user, the second device, and the second user.

6. A method of claim 4, wherein the at least one communication session is established using one or more of local connectivity and wide area connectivity.

7. A method of claim 1, wherein the processor further:

determines one or more of one or more candidate devices and one or more candidate users within the at least one proximity threshold; and

selects one or more of the second device and the second user from among one or more of the one or more candidate devices and the one or more candidate users based on one or more selection criteria,

wherein the one or more selection criteria include one or more of a proximity criterion, a previous experience criterion, and an area familiarity criterion.

8. A method of claim 7, wherein the processor further:

recursively sends a participation request to one or more of the one or more candidate devices and the one or more candidate users until one or more of the one or more candidate devices and the one or more candidate users accepts the participation request; and

designates one or more of the one or more candidate devices and the one or more candidate users that accepts as the second device.

10. A method of claim 1, comprising wherein the processor further:

determines that one or more of the first device and the first user, and one or more of the second device and the second user are within at least one distance threshold; and

processes one or more of location information and mapping information, to generate a line-of-sight indication for identifying one or more of the first device, the first user, the second device, and the second user.

9. (canceled)

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions stored thereon executed by a processor to perform a method of connecting a first device associated with a first user with a second device associated with a second user that is proximate to a destination, for navigation guidance, the method comprising:

receiving a navigation assistance request from the first device sent over a communication network, the navigation assistance request including destination information of the destination;

determining the second user associated with the second device based on the second user being within a proximity threshold of the destination; and

transmitting the navigation assistance request from the first device to the second device associated with the second user,

wherein the navigation assistance request seeks navigation guidance information related to the destination from the second user,

wherein the second user is a pedestrian, and

wherein the navigation guidance information related to the destination that the first user seeks includes one or more of a main entrance associated with the destination, a parking location associated with the destination, an area to avoid when arriving at or leaving the destination, and a parking area to avoid at the destination.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the navigation assistance request further includes first identification information associated with one or more of the first user and the first device, and wherein the first identification information includes one or more of descriptive text and one or more images of one or more of the first device, the first user, and a vehicle associated with the first user.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein a response to the navigation assistance request includes second identification information associated with one or more of the second device and the second user;

and wherein the second identification information includes one or more of descriptive text and one or more images of one or more of the second device and the second user.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim of claim 11, wherein method further comprises:

establishing at least one communication session between the first device and the second device,

wherein the at least one communication session is for conveying the navigation guidance information for identifying one or more of the first device, the first user, the second device, and the second user.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the navigation guidance information comprises a shared mapping user interface including information annotated by one or more of the first device, the first user, the second device, and the second user.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the at least one communication session is established using one or more of local connectivity and wide area connectivity.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim of claim 11, wherein method further comprises:

determining one or more of one or more candidate devices and one or more candidate users within the at least one proximity threshold; and

selecting one or more of the second device and the second user from among one or more of the one or more candidate devices and the one or more candidate users based on one or more selection criteria,

wherein the one or more selection criteria include one or more of a proximity criterion, a previous experience criterion, and an area familiarity criterion.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

recursively sending a participation request to one or more of the one or more candidate devices and the one or more candidate users until one or more of the one or more candidate devices and the one or more candidate users accepts the participation request; and

designating one or more of the one or more candidate devices and the one or more candidate users that accepts as the second device.

20. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

determining that one or more of the first device and the first user, and one or more of the second device and the second user are within at least one distance threshold; and

processing one or more of location information and mapping information, to generate a line-of-sight indication for identifying one or more of the first device, the first user, the second device, and the second user.

19. (canceled)

21-48. -48. (canceled)