NAVIGATION SYSTEM ACQUISITION AND USE OF CELLULAR COVERAGE MAP DATA

• US 20170314940A1
• Filed: 07/17/2017
• Published: 11/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Dave, Swapnil R., Varoglu, Devrim
• Granted Patent: US 10,488,207 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3453 Special cost functions, i.e. other than distance or default speed limit of road segments
• 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: H04L 1/20 using signal quality detector
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]

Abstract

A mobile device can obtain wireless network signal strength map data that indicates, for various nearby geographical regions, the wireless network signal strength in each such region. A mobile device can transmit that data to a vehicular navigation system responsible for automatically selecting a high-quality route of vehicular travel between a specified source and destination. The system can take the wireless network signal map data into account when selecting that route. When selecting from among multiple different routes of vehicular travel between a specified source and destination, the system may employ an algorithm that considers wireless network signal strengths along those routes, in addition to the other factors. Consequently, the system can select a longer route having better signal strength over a shorter route having worse signal strength. The system can present the selected route within a set of suggested routes, potentially along with reasons for each route'"'"'s suggestion.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A method comprising:

determining, at a mobile device, for each particular area of a plurality of areas, a quality of communication within that particular area based at least in part on signal strength map data for the plurality of areas;

based at least in part on the quality of communication within each particular area of the plurality of areas, selecting a particular route from a plurality of routes, each route ending at a same destination; and

providing the particular route to a vehicle navigation system.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

measuring, by the mobile device, signal strength data for the plurality of areas;

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

generating, at the mobile device, the signal strength map data based at least in part on the signal strength data.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein measuring the signal strength data comprises:

measuring, at the mobile device at a particular time, a particular network signal strength at a particular area of the plurality of areas.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein providing the particular route comprises sending data indicating the particular route to the vehicle navigation system, wherein the vehicle navigation system is included in a vehicle.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

sending, to a remote server, a request for the signal strength map data; and

receiving, from the remote server, the signal strength map data.

8. A method, comprising:

determining, by a mobile device, for a particular area of a plurality of areas, a first quality of communication within the particular area based at least in part on signal strength map data;

determining, by the mobile device, for a particular road segment of a plurality of road segments, a second quality of communication at the particular road segment based at least in part on the first quality of communication, wherein the particular road segment is at least partially within the particular area;

generating a map indicating the second quality of communication.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

measuring, by the mobile device, signal strength data for the plurality of areas; and

generating, at the mobile device, the signal strength map data for the plurality of areas based at least in part on the signal strength data for the plurality of areas.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein measuring the signal strength data comprises:

determining a current location of the mobile device; and

measuring a current signal quality at the current location.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the current location is based at least in part on a global positioning system included in the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

sending the map to a vehicle navigation system configured to display the map.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

displaying the map via a display device, wherein the mobile device comprises the display device.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

updating the map based at least in part on updated signal strength map data.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

measuring, at the mobile device, updated signal strength data; and

generating, by the mobile device, the updated signal strength map data.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

requesting, from a remote server, the updated signal strength map data; and

receiving, from the remote server, the updated signal strength map data.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform:

determining for each particular area of a plurality of areas, a quality of communication within that particular area based at least in part on signal strength map data for the plurality of areas;

based at least in part on the quality of communication within each particular area of the plurality of areas, selecting a particular route from a plurality of routes, each route ending at a same destination; and

providing the particular route to a vehicle navigation system.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to perform:

measuring signal strength data for the plurality of areas;

generating the signal strength map data based at least in part on the signal strength data.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to perform:

sending the signal strength map data to a remote server.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to perform:

determining a score for each particular route of the plurality of routes based at least in part on the quality of communication within each particular area of the plurality of areas; and

sorting the plurality of routes based on each score for each particular route.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein determining the score comprises:

for each particular route of the plurality of routes, determining a plurality of sub-scores for a plurality of segments of the particular route; and

calculating a sum of the plurality of sub-scores for the plurality of segments.