Travel guide

• US 6,266,614 B1
• Filed: 04/20/1998
• Issued: 07/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation of America (NEC Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NEC America (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: Alumbaugh, Wendell
• Primary Examiner(s): Issing, Gregory C.
• Application Number:
  US09/063,099
• Time in Patent Office: 1,191 Days
• Field of Search: 701/211, 340/996, 342/357.13, 342/457
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3644 Landmark guidance, e.g. using POIs or conspicuous other objects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3655 Timing of guidance instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages

Abstract

A travel guide device includes a GPS receiver for determining a present location. Access to a database of points-of-interest, indexed by GPS location, is provided to permit timely presentation of audio narration or visual display of information relevant to the point-of-interest. A running, general area narrative and/or display may alternatively be provided. The travel guide device may provide educational and entertaining games, including interactive competitive games, relating to the points-of-interest and general area narratives. A navigation function includes automatic, intelligent collection of waypoints and general directions without stored, detailed maps of an area for which directions are being provided. Waypoint collections may be employed to document a route travel, to retrace the route, or for other purposes. A directory of locations such as restaurants, filling stations, and the like may be accessed by the travel guide device to determine GPS coordinates for a desired destination for general directions navigation. Communication facilities integrated into the travel guide device provide optional communications services, such as downloading a local directory for an area being entered.

Claims

1. A method of providing geographic-specific information, comprising:

installing a database for a geographic area within a vehicle, wherein the database includes a plurality of global positioning system coordinates for geographic locations within the geographic area and a corresponding plurality of narratives associated with the geographic locations and indexed by the global positioning system coordinates;

during a trip along any arbitrarily selected route within the geographic area and passing proximate to at least one of the geographic locations, periodically

determining global positioning system coordinates for a present position,

comparing the global positioning system coordinates for the present position with each of the global positioning system coordinates within the database, and

determining whether the global positioning system coordinates for the present position lie within a predefined range of any global positioning system coordinates within the database;

responsive to identifying a match with in the predefined range between the global positioning system coordinates for the present position and a set of global positioning system coordinates within the database, automatically transmitting a narrative associated with the matching set of global positioning system coordinates to a playback device; and

wherein the step of determining whether the global positioning system coordinates for the present position lie within a predefined range of any global positioning system coordinates within the database further comprises;

for each global positioning coordinates within the database,

determining a distance between the global positioning system coordinates for the present position and the global positioning coordinates within the database,

determining a rate of change of the present position,

determining a time period required to transmit a narrative associated with the global positioning system coordinates within the database to the playback device, and

computing the predefined range as a function of the distance between the global positioning system coordinates for the present position and the global positioning coordinates within the database, the rate of change of the present position, and the time period required to transmit the narrative to the playback device.

2. A travel guide device providing geographic-specific information, comprising:

a global positioning system receiver installed within a vehicle;

a processor connected to the global positioning system receiver;

a database for a geographic area accessible to the processor and including a plurality of global positioning system coordinates for geographic locations within the geographic area and a corresponding plurality of narratives associated with the geographic locations and indexed by the global positioning system coordinates;

a playback device coupled to the database and capable of playing the narratives,

wherein, during a trip by the vehicle along any arbitrarily selected route within the geographic area and passing proximate to at least one of the geographic locations, the processor periodically

determines global positioning system coordinates for the present position from the global positioning system receiver,

compares the global positioning system coordinates for the present position with each of the global positioning system coordinates within the database, and

determines whether the global positioning system coordinates for the present position lie within a predefined range of any global positioning system coordinates within the database;

wherein, responsive to the processor identifying a match within the predefined range between the global positioning system coordinates for the present position and a set of global positioning system coordinates within the database, a narrative associated with the matching set of global positioning system coordinates within the database is automatically transmitted to the playback device; and

wherein the processor determines whether the global positioning system coordinates for the present position lie within a predefined range of any global positioning system coordinates within the database by;

for each global positioning coordinates within the database,

determining a distance between the global positioning system coordinates for the present position and the global positioning coordinates within the database,

detennining a rate of change of the present position,

determining a time period required to transmit a narrative associated with the global positioning system coordinates within the database to the playback device, and

computing the predefined range as a function of the distance between the global positioning system coordinates for the present position and the global positioning coordinates within the database, the rate of change of the present position, and the time period required to transmit the narrative to the playback device.

3. A computer program product within a computer usable medium for providing geographic-specific information, comprising:

a database for a geographic area including a plurality of global positioning system coordinates for geographic locations within the geographic area and a corresponding plurality of narratives associated with the geographic locations and indexed by the global positioning system coordinates;

instructions, executed periodically during a trip along any arbitrarily selected route within the geographic area and passing proximate to at least one of the geographic locations, for

determining global positioning system coordinates for a present position,

comparing the global positioning system coordinates for the present position with each of the global positioning system coordinates within the database, and

determining whether the global positioning system coordinates for the present position lie within a predefined range of any global positioning system coordinates within the database;

instructions, responsive to identifying a match within the predefined range between the global positioning system coordinates for the present position and a set of global positioning system coordinates within the database, for automatically transmitting a narrative associated with the matching set of global positioning system coordinates to a playback device; and

wherein the instructions for determining whether the global positioning system coordinates for the present position lie within a predefined range of any global positioning system coordinates within the database further comprise;

instructions, executed for each global positioning coordinates within the database,

for determining a distance between the global positioning system coordinates for the present position and the global positioning coordinates within the database,

for determining a rate of change of the present position,

for determining a time period required to transmit a narrative associated with the global positioning system coordinates within the database to the playback device, and

for computing the predefined range as a function of the distance between the global positioning system coordinates for the present position and the global positioning coordinates within the database, the rate of change of the present position, and the time period required to transmit the narrative to the playback device.