Providing geographic directions to a destination using a mobile wireless communication device

• US 6,983,155 B1
• Filed: 08/20/2002
• Issued: 01/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Cook, Fred S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gary, Erika A.
• Application Number:
  US10/224,149
• Time in Patent Office: 1,232 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/457, 342/357.06
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services

Abstract

A mobile wireless communication device is disclosed comprised of a reading system, a control system, and a user interface system. The reading system reads destination data for a destination from an object if the object is positioned in proximity to the reading system. The control system processes the destination data to generate geographic directions to the destination. The user interface system provides the geographic directions to a user to facilitate guiding the user to the destination.

Claims

1. A mobile wireless communication device, comprising:

a reading system configured to read destination data for a destination from a tangible object if the tangible object is positioned in proximity to the reading system;

a control system configured to transmit a query including the destination data to a service control point of a communication network, receive a response to the query that includes the location of the destination, and process the location of the destination to generate geographic directions to the destination; and

a user interface system configured to provide the geographic directions to a user of the mobile wireless communication device to facilitate guiding the user to the destination.

2. The mobile wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the geographic directions comprise street directions to the destination.

3. The mobile wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the geographic directions comprise a map for illustrating a location of the destination.

4. The mobile wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the destination data comprises a telephone number of the destination.

5. The mobile wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the destination data comprises an e-mail address of the destination.

6. The mobile wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the destination data comprises satellite coordinates of the destination.

7. The mobile wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the reading system is further configured to read the destination data from a bar code on the tangible object.

8. The mobile wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the reading system is further configured to read the destination data from a magnetic strip on the tangible object.

9. The mobile wireless communication device of claim 1:

wherein the control system is further configured to determine a location of the mobile wireless communication device and process the location of the mobile wireless communication device and the location of the destination to generate the geographic directions, wherein the geographic directions comprise a map for illustrating the location of the mobile wireless communication device and a location of the destination.

10. The mobile wireless communication device of claim 1:

wherein the control system is further configured to determine a location of the mobile wireless communication device and process the location of the mobile wireless communication device and the location of the destination to generate the geographic directions, wherein the geographic directions comprise suggested directions between the location of the mobile wireless communication device and the destination.

11. The mobile wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the control system is further configured to:

determine a location of the mobile wireless communication device,

transfer a request to the communication network, wherein the request includes information on the location of the mobile wireless communication device and the location of the destination,

receive a response from the communication network, and

process the response to generate the geographic directions.

12. The mobile wireless communication device of claim 11 wherein the control system is further configured to determine the location of the mobile wireless communication device based on satellite signals.

13. The mobile wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the mobile wireless communication device comprises a mobile wireless telephone.

14. The mobile wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the mobile wireless communication device comprises a personal digital assistant.

15. The mobile wireless communication device of claim 1:

wherein the control system is further configured to generate a menu having a plurality of options;

wherein the user interface system is further configured to display the menu to the user; and

wherein the control system is further configured to process the destination data responsive to the user selecting one of the options.

16. A method of operating a mobile wireless communication device, the method comprising:

reading destination data for a destination from a tangible object if the tangible object is positioned in proximity to the mobile wireless communication device;

transmitting a query to a service control point of a communication network, wherein the query includes the destination data;

receiving a response to the query that includes the location of the destination;

processing the location of the destination to generate geographic directions to the destination; and

providing the geographic directions to a user of the mobile wireless communication device to facilitate guiding the user to the destination.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the geographic directions comprise street directions to the destination.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the geographic directions comprise a map for illustrating a location of the destination.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the destination data comprises a telephone number of the destination.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the destination data comprises an e-mail address of the destination.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein the destination data comprises satellite coordinates of the destination.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein reading the destination data comprises:

reading the destination data from a bar code on the tangible object.

23. The method of claim 16 wherein reading the destination data comprises:

reading the destination data from a magnetic strip on the tangible object.

24. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

determining a location of the mobile wireless communication device; and

processing the location of the mobile wireless communication device and the location of the destination to generate the geographic directions, wherein the geographic directions comprise a map for illustrating the location of the mobile wireless communication device and a location of the destination.

25. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

determining a location of the mobile wireless communication device; and

processing the location of the mobile wireless communication device and the location of the destination to generate the geographic directions, wherein the geographic directions comprise suggested directions between the location of the mobile wireless communication device and the destination.

26. The method of claim 16 wherein processing the destination data to provide geographic directions further comprises:

determining a location of the mobile wireless communication device,

transferring a request to the communication network, wherein the request includes information on the location of the mobile wireless communication device and the location of the destination,

receiving a response from the communication network, and

processing the response to generate the geographic directions.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising determining the location of the mobile wireless communication device based on satellite signals.

28. The method of claim 16 wherein the mobile wireless communication device comprises a mobile wireless telephone.

29. The method of claim 16 wherein the mobile wireless communication device comprises a personal digital assistant.

30. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

generating a menu having a plurality of selections;

displaying the menu to a user; and

processing the destination data responsive to the user selecting one of the selections.

31. A communication system for providing geographic directions to a destination to a user, the communication system comprising:

a mobile wireless communication device configured to read destination data for the destination from a tangible object if the tangible object is positioned in proximity to the mobile wireless communication device, and transmit the destination data over a wireless link; and

a network system configured to receive the destination data, process the destination data via a service control point to generate a location of the destination process the location of the destination to generate the geographic directions to the destination, and transmit the geographic directions over the wireless link;

the mobile wireless communication device further configured to receive the geographic directions and display the geographic directions to a user to facilitate guiding the user to the destination.

32. The communication system of claim 31 wherein the geographic directions comprise a map illustrating a location of the destination.

33. The communication system of claim 31 wherein the geographic directions comprise suggested directions to the destination.

34. The communication system of claim 31 wherein the mobile wireless communication device is further configured to:

scan a bar code on the tangible object to read the destination data.

35. The communication system of claim 31 wherein the mobile wireless communication device is further configured to:

read a magnetic strip on the tangible object to read the destination data.

36. The communication system of claim 31 wherein the mobile wireless communication device comprises a wireless phone.

37. The communication system of claim 31 wherein the mobile wireless communication device comprises a personal digital assistant.

38. The communication system of claim 31 wherein:

the mobile wireless communication device is further configured to determine a location of the mobile wireless communication device, and transmit the location of the mobile wireless communication device over the wireless link; and

the network system is further configured to process the location of the destination and the location of the mobile wireless communication device to generate the geographic directions.

39. The communication system of claim 38 wherein the mobile wireless communication device is further configured to:

receive satellite signals; and

process the satellite signals to determine the location of the mobile wireless communication device.

40. A method of providing geographic directions to a destination, the method comprising:

reading destination data for the destination from a tangible object if the tangible object is positioned in proximity to a mobile wireless communication device;

transmitting the destination data from the mobile wireless communication device to a network system over a wireless link;

processing the destination data via a service control point of the network system to generate a location of the destination;

processing the location of the destination in the network system to generate the geographic directions to the destination;

transmitting the geographic directions from the network system to the mobile wireless communication device over the wireless link; and

displaying the geographic directions to a user of the mobile wireless communication device to facilitate guiding the user to the destination.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein the geographic directions comprise a map illustrating a location of the destination.

42. The method of claim 40 wherein the geographic directions comprise suggested directions to the destination.

43. The method of claim 40 wherein reading the destination data from the tangible object comprises:

scanning a bar code on the tangible object to read the destination data.

44. The method of claim 40 wherein reading the destination data from the tangible object comprises:

reading a magnetic strip on the tangible object to read the destination data.

45. The method of claim 40 wherein the mobile wireless communication device comprises a wireless phone.

46. The method of claim 40 wherein the mobile wireless communication device comprises a personal digital assistant.

47. The method of claim 40 further comprising:

determining a location of the mobile wireless communication device; and

processing the location of the destination and the location of the mobile wireless communication device in the network system to generate the geographic directions.

48. The method of claim 47 wherein determining a location of the mobile wireless communication device comprises:

receiving satellite signals in the mobile wireless communication device; and

processing the satellite signals in the mobile wireless communication device to determine the location of the mobile wireless communication device.

49. A communication network, comprising:

a communication interface system configured to receive a request for geographic directions to a destination from a mobile wireless communication device over a wireless link, wherein the request includes a phone number for the destination, and wherein the mobile wireless communication device is configured to read the phone number from a tangible object positioned in proximity to the mobile wireless communication device; and

a control system configured to transmit a query including the phone number to a service control point, receive a response to the query that includes a location of the destination, and process the location of the destination to generate the geographic directions;

the communication interface system further configured to transmit the geographic directions to the mobile wireless communication device over the wireless link.

50. The communication network of claim 49:

wherein the communication interface system is further configured to receive a location of the mobile wireless communication device from the mobile wireless communication device; and

wherein the control system is further configured to process the location of the mobile wireless communication device and the location of the destination to generate the geographic directions.

51. A method of operating a communication network, the method comprising:

receiving a request for geographic directions to a destination from a mobile wireless communication device over a wireless link, wherein the request includes a phone number for the destination, and wherein the mobile wireless communication device is configured to read the phone number from a tangible object positioned in proximity to the mobile wireless communication device;

transmitting a query to a service control point wherein the query includes the telephone number;

receiving a response to the query that includes a location of the destination;

processing the location of the destination to generate the geographic directions; and

transmitting the geographic directions to the mobile wireless communication device over the wireless link.

52. The method of claim 51 further comprising:

receiving a location of the mobile wireless communication device from the mobile wireless communication device; and

processing the location of the mobile wireless communication device and the location of the destination to generate the geographic directions.