Technique for suggesting favorites in navigation

• US 6,829,532 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2003
• Issued: 12/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Silver State Intellectual Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: American Calcar, Inc.
• Inventors: Pirtle, John D., Schebesch, Steven W., Obradovich, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc-Coleman, Marthe Y.
• Application Number:
  US10/382,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20030158655A1
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• Field of Search: 701/202, 701/207, 701/208, 701/205, 701/209, 701/200, 701/201, 701/210, 701/211, 701/213, 340/990, 340/995, 340/988, 342/357.01, 342/357.09, 342/357.13
• US Class Current: 701/207
• 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: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• 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: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

In a navigation device, user profiles may be stored and used to navigate a user who may be driving in a vehicle, on foot, or in other mode of transportation. Each user profile corresponds to one of the user'"'"'s personae. For example, the user business profile corresponding to the user'"'"'s business persona may be different from the user personal profile corresponding to the user'"'"'s personal persona. For instance, the user business profile may include fine-dining type restaurants for business meetings while the user personal profile may instead include fast-food type restaurants for personal dining. The navigation device provides the user with a navigated route, together with information concerning the favorite facilities and events surrounding the navigated route, which satisfy the preferences in a selected user profile. In addition, blockages may also be established using the device to avoid selected areas, e.g., high crime rate areas, in the navigated route, or to block transmission of selected information concerning, e.g., uninteresting facilities and events, to the navigation device.

Claims

1. A navigation apparatus, comprising:

a memory for storing preference data provided by a user of the apparatus;

a device for sensing a location of the apparatus, a list of favorites being suggested for planning a route based at least on the preference data and the sensed location, which is within a first geographic area;

an interface for receiving a navigation request;

an output for providing information concerning a selected route in response to the navigation request, the selected route being within a second geographic area, at least one of the favorites in the list being identified as pertaining to the first geographic area but not the second geographic area; and

a server for correlating the at least one favorite to a second favorite which pertains to the second geographic area, the second favorite replacing the at least one favorite in the list for planning the selected route.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the preference data relates to personal activities.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the preference data relates to business activities.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the preference data relates to vacation activities.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one favorite includes a selected event.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one favorite concerns a selected facility.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising a display for displaying a map having thereon at least one icon, which indicates a location of the selected facility represented by the at least one icon.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the selected facility includes a restaurant.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the selected facility includes a provider for vehicle services.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein second information is provided which concerns the selected facility.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the second information includes contact information for communicating with the selected facility.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the device includes a GPS device.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the navigation request includes a selected mode of transportation.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the selected mode of transportation includes use of a vehicle.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the selected mode of transportation includes walking.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the selected mode of transportation includes public transportation.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the information includes instructions to traverse the selected route.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the information is provided via audio media.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the information is visually provided.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the selected route is determined as a function of travel distance.

21. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the selected route is determined as a function of travel time.

22. A navigation apparatus, comprising:

a memory for storing a plurality of sets of preferences, the plurality of sets of preferences being associated with respective ones of personae of a user of the apparatus, a list of favorites being suggested for planning a trip to a first geographic area based at least on the set of preferences associated with a selected one of the personae;

an interface for receiving a request for planning a trip to a second geographic area, and data concerning the selected persona, at least one of the favorites in the list being identified as pertaining to the first geographic area but not the second geographic area;

a server for correlating the at least one favorite to a second favorite which pertains to the second geographic area, the second favorite replacing the at least one favorite in the list for planning the trip to the second geographic area; and

a device responsive to the request for providing navigation information.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein one of the personae relates to personal activities of the user.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein one of the personae relates to business activities of the user.

25. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein one of the personae relates to vacation activities of the user.

26. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the purpose of the trip is to dine out.

27. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the purpose of the trip is to shop.

28. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the at least one favorite concerns a selected event.

29. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the at least one favorite concerns a selected facility.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 further comprising a display for displaying a map having thereon at least one icon, which indicates a location of the selected facility represented by the at least one icon.

31. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the selected facility includes a restaurant.

32. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the selected facility includes a provider for vehicle services.

33. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein second information is provided which concerns the selected facility.

34. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein the second information includes contact information for communicating with the selected facility.

35. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the request includes a selected mode of transportation.

36. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein the selected mode of transportation includes use of a vehicle.

37. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein the selected mode of transportation includes walking.

38. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein the selected mode of transportation includes public transportation.

39. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the navigation information is provided via audio media.

40. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the navigation information is visually provided.

41. A method for use in a navigation apparatus, comprising:

storing preference data provided by a user of the apparatus;

sensing a location of the apparatus;

suggesting a list of favorites for planning a route based at least on the preference data and the sensed location, which is within a first geographic area;

receiving a navigation request;

in response to the navigation request, providing information concerning a selected route, the selected route being within a second geographic area;

identifying at least one of the favorites in the list as pertaining to the first geographic area but not the second geographic area; and

correlating the at least one favorite to a second favorite which pertains to the second geographic area, the second favorite replacing the at least one favorite in the list for planning the selected route.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein the preference data relates to personal activities.

43. The method of claim 41 wherein the preference data relates to business activities.

44. The method of claim 41 wherein the preference data relates to vacation activities.

45. The method of claim 41 wherein the at least one favorite concerns a selected event.

46. The method of claim 41 wherein the at least one favorite concerns a selected facility.

47. The method of claim 46 further comprising displaying a map having thereon at least one icon, which indicates a location of the selected facility represented by the at least one icon.

48. The method of claim 46 wherein the selected facility includes a restaurant.

49. The method of claim 46 wherein the selected facility includes a provider for vehicle services.

50. The method of claim 46 wherein second information is provided which concerns the selected facility.

51. The method of claim 50 wherein the second information includes contact information for communicating with the selected facility.

52. The method of claim 41 wherein the current location is sensed using a GPS technique.

53. The method of claim 41 wherein the navigation request includes a selected mode of transportation.

54. The method of claim 53 wherein the selected mode of transportation includes use of a vehicle.

55. The method of claim 53 wherein the selected mode of transportation includes walking.

56. The method of claim 53 wherein the selected mode of transportation includes public transportation.

57. The method of claim 41 wherein the information includes instructions to traverse the selected route.

58. The method of claim 41 wherein the information is provided via audio media.

59. The method of claim 41 wherein the information is visually provided.

60. The method of claim 41 wherein the selected route is determined as a function of travel distance.

61. The method of claim 41 wherein the selected route is determined as a function of travel time.

62. A method for use in a navigation apparatus, comprising:

storing a plurality of sets of preferences, the plurality of sets of preferences being associated with respective ones of personae of a user of the apparatus;

suggesting a list of favorites for planning a trip to a first geographic area based at least on the set of preferences associated with a selected one of the personae;

receiving a request for planning a trip to a second geographic area, and data concerning the selected persona, at least one of the favorites in the list being identified as pertaining to the first geographic area but not the second geographic area;

correlating the at least one favorite to a second favorite which pertains to the second geographic area, the second favorite replacing the at least one favorite in the list for planning the trip to the second geographic area; and

in response to the request, providing navigation information.

63. The method of claim 62 wherein one of the personae relates to personal activities of the user.

64. The method of claim 62 wherein one of the personae relates to business activities of the user.

65. The method of claim 62 wherein one of the personae relates to vacation activities of the user.

66. The method of claim 62 wherein the purpose of the trip is to dine out.

67. The method of claim 62 wherein the purpose of the trip is to shop.

68. The method of claim 62 wherein the at least one favorite concerns a selected event.

69. The method of claim 62 wherein the at least one favorite concerns a selected facility.

70. The method of claim 69 further comprising displaying a map having thereon at least one icon, which indicates a location of the selected facility represented by the at least one icon.

71. The method of claim 69 wherein the selected facility includes a restaurant.

72. The method of claim 69 wherein the selected facility includes a provider for vehicle services.

73. The method of claim 69 wherein second information is provided which concerns the selected facility.

74. The method of claim 73 wherein the second information includes contact information for communicating with the selected facility.

75. The method of claim 62 wherein the request includes a selected mode of transportation.

76. The method of claim 75 wherein the selected mode of transportation includes use of a vehicle.

77. The method of claim 75 wherein the selected mode of transportation includes walking.

78. The method of claim 75 wherein the selected mode of transportation includes public transportation.

79. The method of claim 62 wherein the navigation information is provided via audio media.

80. The method of claim 62 wherein the navigation information is visually provided.