Position based personal digital assistant

• US 6,411,899 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2001
• Issued: 06/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Dussell, William O., Janky, James M., Schipper, John F., Cowl, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US09/846,415
• Publication Number:
  US 20010018663A1
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/211, 701/213, 701/207, 701/200, 342/357.06, 342/357.1, 342/357.17
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/11 wherein the cooperating elements are pseudolites or satellite radio beacon positioning system signal repeaters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/41 Differential correction, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

A task description is stored in a database accessible by a mobile computer system. The mobile computer system receives positioning information corresponding to its geographic location and indexes the database based on the positioning information when the information indicates that the mobile computer system is in a geographic location that facilitates completion of a task associated with the task description. The database may be resident in the mobile computer system or accessible in other ways, for example, via the Internet. The task description preferably includes a geocode which corresponds to the geographic location at which completion of the task may be facilitated. The task description may also include textual, voice or other message which can be displayed and/or played back to a user. The positioning information may be obtained from a GPS satellite, a GLONASS satellite or a pseudolite. The mobile computer system may be a portable unit, such as a PDA, or integrated within a vehicle.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

associating a geographic location with a task description;

monitoring positional information of a mobile device; and

retrieving the task description when the mobile device is within a selected metric of the geographic location, as determined by the position of the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a reminder of the task description.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the reminder is at least one of:

a visual reminder, audible reminder, a textual reminder, and a geographical reminder.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the visual reminder is displayed on a screen of the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the visual reminder is displayed on an automobile.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the visual reminder is displayed on a heads-up display in the automobile.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the audible reminder comprises a playback of a recorded version of the task description.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the audible reminder is played out using a voice synthesizer.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the task descriptor comprises at least one of:

a text message and voice message.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the task descriptor comprises a reference indicating a location at which an associated task is to be accomplished.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the task description is stored in a memory.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the task description is associated with the geographic location on a memory.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the position of the mobile device is determined using a GPS receiver.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the task description is stored in a database remote from the mobile device.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the mobile device comprises a GPS receiver.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile device comprises a GPS receiver.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the task description is stored in a computer-readable storage medium capable of being removed from the mobile device.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying the position of the mobile device.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the position of the mobile device is displayed using a map.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising displaying the geographic location associated with the task description.

21. A method, comprising alerting a user of a mobile device of a previously stored task to be performed at a geographic location when the mobile device is determined to be within a selected distance of the geographic location.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein alerting the user comprises providing a reminder of the task.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the reminder comprises one or more of:

an audible reminder, a visual reminder, a graphical reminder and a textual reminder.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the visual reminder is displayed on a screen of the mobile device.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the visual reminder is displayed in an automobile.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the visual reminder is displayed on a heads-up display in the automobile.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein the audible reminder comprises a playback of a recorded version of the task description.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the audible reminder is played out using a voice synthesizer.

29. The method of claim 21 wherein alerting the user comprises displaying one or more of:

a graphical alert, a text message, an alert light, a map, and a visual alert accompanied by an audible alert.

30. The method of claim 21 wherein alerting the user comprises playing an audible recording of a description of the task.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the recording is played over an automobile sound system.

32. The method of claim 21 wherein a description of the task is stored as one or more of:

a text message, a voice message, and a graphical message.

33. The method of claim 21 wherein the mobile device is determined to be within the selected distance of the geographic location according to the position of the mobile device as indicated by a GPS receiver.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the GPS receiver is separate from a computer-readable storage medium that stores a description of the task.

35. The method of claim 21 wherein the description of the task is stored in a computer-readable storage medium separate from the mobile device.

36. The method of claim 21 wherein a description of the task is stored in a computer-readable storage medium capable of being attached to the mobile device.

37. A method, comprising automatically reminding a user of a mobile device of a task to be performed when the mobile device is determined to be within a predetermined distance of a geographic location associated with the task.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein reminding the user comprises displaying one or more of:

a visual reminder of the task, a graphical reminder of the task, and a textual reminder of the task.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein the visual reminder is displayed in a screen of the mobile device.

40. The method of claim 38 wherein the visual reminder is displayed in an automobile.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein the visual reminder is displayed on a heads-up display in the automobile.

42. The method of claim 37 wherein reminding the user comprises playing a voice message regarding the task.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein the voice message comprises a task description recorded by the user.

44. The method of claim 37 wherein the mobile device is determined to be within the predetermined distance of the geographic location using a GPS receiver.

45. The method of claim 37 further comprising displaying a map.

46. The method of claim 45 wherein the map is highlighted to show the geographic location associated with the task.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein the map is further highlighted to show a position of the mobile device.

48. The method of claim 37 wherein the predetermined distance is within one mobile of a position of the mobile device.

49. The method of claim 37 wherein the task is automatically generated by a computer system.

50. The method of claim 49 wherein the task is automatically generated through an analysis of the user'"'"'s electronic records.