Location-dependent information reproduction with adaptation of a geographic selection parameter

• US 7,130,645 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2004
• Issued: 10/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Original Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Inventors: Llombart-Juan, Nuria, Gerhaeuser, Heinz, Korte, Olaf, Plankenbuehler, Roland, Zink, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro, Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): LA, NICHOLAS T
• Application Number:
  US10/966,477
• Publication Number:
  US 20050136947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.3, 455/414.1, 455/412.1, 455/456.5, 455/457, 701208-209, 701/201, 304/990
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence

Abstract

A method for providing an information unit to a user is described, wherein the information unit describes an object having a predetermined spatial relationship to the user. The method includes detecting a kind of movement or a position of the user. Depending on the detected kind of movement or the position of the user, a geographic selection criterion is adjusted, wherein, depending on the predetermined spatial relationship of object to user, the geographic selection criterion specifies whether the information unit is provided or not. If a location of the user is located such with respect to a geographic position of the user that the geographic selection criterion is met, the information unit for the object is reproduced. An advantage is that the concept may be employed in applications in which the user gets into different environments and situations which, in turn, require different geographic selection criteria.

Claims

1. A method for providing one of a plurality of available information units to a user, wherein the information units each describe an object at a respective location, wherein the method comprises:

a) detecting a geographic position of the user;

b) iteratively determining such information units from the plurality of available information units that describe objects situated at locations which have a spatial relationship to the geographic position of the user which meets a geographic selection criterion, selecting an information unit to be reproduced to the user from the determined information units, and reproducing the selected information unit to the user;

c) depending on a temporal behavior of the geographic position, a speed and/or a direction of movement of the user, adjusting the geographic selection criterion so that a subsequent selection process is performed with a different geographic selection criterion,

wherein the method further comprises;

d) prior to step c), detecting the position, speed and/or direction of movement of the user over a time window of predetermined duration to detect the temporal behavior,

wherein step b) includes selecting those information units that describe objects at locations situated so that a distance of the geographic position of the user from the location of the object or an angle between the direction of movement of the user and a line running through the geographic position of the user and the location of the object is below or exceeds a selection parameter,

wherein step b) further comprises the following substeps;

b1) evaluation of the detected temporal behavior in the time window of a predetermined time period to obtain a statistical characteristic or measure; and

b2) adjusting the geographic selection criterion depending on the statistical characteristic, and

wherein in step d) the temporal behavior is also determined over a further time window of a further predetermined time period which is longer than the time period of the predetermined time window, and wherein step b) further comprises the following substeps;

prior to step b2),

evaluation of the detected temporal behavior in the further time window to obtain a further statistical characteristic which is a further measure for changes in the temporal behavior,

concluding a situation of the user from a plurality of predetermined situations based on the further statistical characteristic, wherein one or more values defining a functional connection between the selection parameter and the statistical characteristic are associated with each situation;

wherein the adjustment of step b2) comprises adjusting the selection parameter depending on the statistical characteristic on the basis of the functional connection defined by the value and/or values associated with the situation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step c) comprises calculating the speed and/or direction of movement from successively detected geographic positions of the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the values associated with the situation include a selection parameter minimum value and a selection parameter maximum value as well as a characteristic minimum value and a characteristic maximum value, and the functional connection is a function which, from 0 to the characteristic minimum value, adopts the selection parameter minimum value, from the characteristic minimum value to the characteristic maximum value, runs linearly between the selection parameter minimum value and the selection parameter maximum value, and from the characteristic maximum value, adopts the selection parameter maximum value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the evaluation of the detected temporal behavior in the further time window is performed such that the further statistical characteristic is selected from a group including the average speed, a statistical variation of the speed, the average degree of changes in direction, the frequency of changes in direction, the frequency of movement stops as well as the average duration of movement stops.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the evaluation of the detected temporal behavior in the time window is performed such that the statistical characteristic includes the average speed.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after step b),

determining how many of the information units describe an object whose location is located such with respect to the geographic position of the user that the geographic selection criterion is met; and

relaxing the selection criterion by increasing or reducing the selection parameter, if the determined number is below a predetermined value.

7. A device for providing one of a plurality of available information units to a user, wherein the information units each describe an object at a respective location, wherein the device comprises:

a) a unit for detecting a geographic position of the user;

b) a unit for iteratively determining such information units from the plurality of available information units that describe objects situated at locations which have a spatial relationship to the geographic position of the user which meets a geographic selection criterion, selecting an information unit to be reproduced to the user from the determined information units, and reproducing the selected information unit to the user;

c) a unit for adjusting the geographic selection criterion depending on a temporal behavior of the geographic position, a speed and/or a direction of movement of the user, so that successive selection processes are performed with different geographic selection criteria,

wherein the unit for detecting is formed to detect the position, speed and/or direction of movement of the user over a time window of predetermined duration to detect the temporal behavior,

wherein the unit for iteratively determining, selecting and reproducing is formed such that the selection includes selecting those information units that describe objects at locations situated so that a distance of the geographic position of the user from the location of the object or an angle between the direction of movement of the user and a line running through the geographic position of the user and the location of the object is below or exceeds a selection parameter,

wherein the device further comprises;

b1) a unit for evaluating the detected temporal behavior in the time window of a predetermined time period to obtain a statistical characteristic; and

b2) a unit for adjusting the geographic selection criterion depending on the statistical characteristic, and

wherein the unit for detecting is further formed to determine the temporal behavior also over a further time window of a further predetermined time period which is longer than the time period of the predetermined time window, and wherein the unit for iteratively determining, selecting and reproducing comprises the following units;

a unit for evaluating the detected temporal behavior in the further time window to obtain a further statistical characteristic which is a further measure for changes in the temporal behavior,

a unit for concluding a situation of the user from a plurality of predetermined situations based on the further statistical characteristic, wherein one or more values defining a functional connection between the selection parameter and the statistical characteristic are associated with each situation;

wherein the unit for adjusting the geographic selection criterion is formed, depending on the statistical characteristic, to perform the adjusting of the selection parameter depending on the statistical characteristic on the basis of the functional connection defined by the value and/or values associated with the situation.