Server-based navigation system having dynamic transmittal of route information

• US 7,243,134 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2002
• Issued: 07/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bruner, John D., Clayton, Richard Mark, Bullock, James Blake
• Primary Examiner(s): ZIA, SYED
• Application Number:
  US10/179,076
• Publication Number:
  US 20030236818A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,841 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 701/202, 701/201
• US Class Current: 709/216
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor

Abstract

A navigation system having a client device and a service center. The client device is capable of transmitting a starting point and a destination point from a user. The client device also includes a memory having a memory limit. The service center is capable of receiving the starting point and the destination point and calculates a route between the starting point and the destination point. The service center further is capable of generating and transmitting data associated with the calculated route to the client device. However, before transmitting the data, the service center makes a determination whether the size of the data associated with the calculated route is greater than the memory limit of the memory in the client device. If so, the data associated with the calculated route is transmitted to the client device in a plurality of segmented data files, each at a different time. The division of data may take a variety of forms including a division by geographic area. There is also a means for thinning data in geographic or coverage areas having limited connectivity. Additionally, there is a method in the service center to transmit information in segmented data files when the data associated with the calculated route is greater than the memory limit of the memory in the client device.

Claims

1. A navigation system comprising:

a client device that is capable of transmitting a starting point and a destination point from a user, the client device having a memory with a memory limit; and

a service center that is capable of receiving the staffing point and the destination point and calculating a route consisting of a set of segmented data between the starting point and the destination point, the service center being further capable of generating and transmitting data associated with the calculated route to the client device, the service center being able to determine the memory limit in the client device;

wherein, if the service center determines that the size of the set of data associated with the complete calculated route is greater than the memory limit of the memory in the client device, the service center will divide the set of data segments associated with the calculated route into subsets of segmented data files so that each subset of segmented data files will fit within the memory limit and transmits the subsets of segmented data files to the client device sequentially, each at a different time,

wherein the memory limit of the memory in the client device is automatically determined by the service center based on a model of the client device.

2. The navigation system in claim 1, wherein the generated data associated with the calculated route includes information to provide at least voice, text, or graphic instructions to the user.

3. The navigation system in claim 1, wherein the client device has a positioning system and is further capable of transmitting a current location of the client device to the service center.

4. The navigation system in claim 1, wherein the service center has a positioning system to determine a current location of the client device.

5. The navigation system in claim 1, wherein the plurality of segmented data files each represents a separate geographic region along the calculated route.

6. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein the time that each segmented data file is transmitted is in response to a request made by the client device.

7. The navigation system in claim 1, wherein the service center has a means for determining a current location of the client device along the calculated route.

8. The navigation system in claim 7, wherein the time that each segmented data file is transmitted is determined by the service center based on the current location of the client device along the calculated route.

9. The navigation system in claim 1, wherein the memory limit of the memory in the client device is configured by the user.

10. A method in a service center of a navigation system, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a starting point and a destination point for a client device;

calculating a route based on at least the staffing point and the destination point;

generating data consisting of a set of segmented data associated with the calculated route;

determining a size of the set of generated data associated with the calculated route;

comparing the size of the set of generated data associated with the calculated route with a memory limit of the client device;

dividing the set of generated data associated with the calculated route into a plurality of subsets of segmented data files if the size of the set of generated data associated with the calculated route is greater than the memory limit of the client device; and

transmitting each set of segmented data file to the client device sequentially at a different time, wherein the time that each segmented data file is transmitted is in response to a request made by the client device.

11. The method in claim 10, wherein the step of generating data associated with the calculated route includes data that can provide at least voice, text, or graphic instructions to the user.

12. The method in claim 10, wherein each segmented data file represents a different geographic region along the calculated route.

13. The method in claim 10, wherein the method further includes the step of monitoring a current location of the client device along the calculated route before the step of transmitting each segmented data file to the client device.

14. The method in claim 10, wherein the method further includes the step of reducing the size of data associated with the calculated route over a geographic region that has a connection limitation for the client device.

15. The method in claim 10, wherein the step of transmitting each segmented data file includes transmitting at least one of the segmented data files before the client device enters a geographic region that has a connection limitation for the client device.

16. A method in a navigation system, the system having a service center and a client device, the method comprising the steps of:

sending a starting point and a destination point to the service center;

calculating in the service center a route for the client device based at least in part on the staffing point and the destination point;

generating in the service center data consisting of a set of segmented data associated with the calculated route;

determining in the service center whether a size of the generated data associated with the calculated route is greater than a memory limit of a memory in the client device;

if the size of the generated data associated with the calculated route is greater than the memory limit of the memory in the client device, dividing in the service center the generated data associated with the calculated route into a plurality of subsets of segmented data files; and

transmitting from the service center to the client device each segmented data file subset sequentially at a different time, wherein the time that each segmented data file is transmitted is in response to a request made by the client device.

17. The method in claim 16, wherein the step of generating data associated with the calculated route includes data that can provide at least voice, text, or graphic instructions to a user of the client device.

18. The method in claim 16, wherein each segmented data file represents a different geographic region along the calculated route.

19. The method in claim 16, wherein the method further includes the step of monitoring a current location of the client device along the calculated route before the step of transmitting each segmented data file to the client device.

20. The method in claim 16, wherein the method further includes the step of reducing the size of data associated with the calculated route over a geographic region that has a connection limitation for the client device.

21. A service center in a navigation system, the service center comprising:

a communication unit for receiving a starting point and a destination point for a client device; and

a server connected to the communication unit for calculating a route consisting of a set of segmented data between the starting point and the destination point, the server being further capable of generating and transmitting data associated with the calculated route to the client device, the server being able to determine the memory limit in the client device;

wherein, if the server determines that all the data associated with the calculated route cannot be transmitted to the client device at a single time, the server will divide the set of data segments associated with the calculated route into subsets of segmented data files so that each subset of segmented data files will fit within the memory limit and transmits the subsets of segmented data files to the client device sequentially, each at a different time,

wherein the time that each segmented data file is transmitted is in response to a request made by the client device.

22. The service center in claim 21, wherein the generated data associated with the calculated route includes information to provide at least voice, text, or graphic instructions to the user.

23. The service center in claim 21, wherein the client device has a positioning system and is further capable of transmitting a current location of the client device to the server.

24. The service center in claim 21, wherein the service center further has a positioning system to determine a current location of the client device.

25. The service center in claim 21, wherein the plurality of segmented data files each represents a separate geographic region along the calculated route.