Providing navigation services based on subscriber input location information stored in a telecommunication network

• US 7,379,743 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2003
• Issued: 05/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Graske, Jerome W., Bostrom, Kevin L., Vaudreuil, Gregory M., Pfleging, Gerald W., Wilkin, George Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Tieu; Binh K.
• Application Number:
  US10/609,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20040266456A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,793 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/414.3, 455/415, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/457, 34235707-35709, 701/1, 701/200, 701/207
• US Class Current: 455/456.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3438 Rendez-vous, i.e. searching a destination where several users can meet, and the routes to this destination for these users; Ride sharing, i.e. searching a route such that at least two users can share a vehicle for at least part of the route

Abstract

A node in the telecommunication network supports location and direction services that are especially suited for wireless subscribers. Location coordinates such as determined by the global positioning satellite system are entered by a subscriber from the location to be marked. The node stores the coordinates and compares the marked location to the current coordinates of a subscriber making a request for directions to find the first location, e.g. the subscriber'"'"'s parked car. The node provides the requesting subscriber with directions for proceeding from the current location to the first location. Subscribers other than the subscriber entering the location coordinates may also access the stored location information and obtain directions to the marked location to facilitate a meeting of subscribers at a location previously marked by a subscriber.

Claims

1. A method for storing location data input by subscribers in a telecommunication network for use in providing directions to locations determined by the location data, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request, from a first subscriber device at a first location, for location services in the telecommunication network;

in response to said request, establishing communications between the first subscriber device and a telecommunication node that supports location services;

receiving at the node first location data that locates the first location, said first location data transmitted from the first subscriber device at the first location;

storing the first location data in a record in a database in the telecommunication network, the record also containing an access code identifying the record associated with the first subscriber device;

receiving at the node a request for directions to the first location from a second subscriber device operated by a second subscriber, the received request for directions including current location data corresponding to a current location of the second subscriber, the request for directions further including the access code;

retrieving previously stored first location data corresponding to the first location by the node based on the access code from the second subscriber matching the access code entered by the first subscriber;

comparing the first location data and the current location data at the node to determine the position of the first location data relative to the current location data;

generating directions for traveling to the first location from the current location based on the first location data and the current location data;

transmitting the directions from the node to the second subscriber, thereby providing the second subscriber with directions for proceeding from the current location to the first location.

2. The method according to claim 1 where the access code serves to validate requests from other users for access to the first location data.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the first location data comprises geographical coordinates determined by a global positioning satellite system.

4. A method for a second subscriber in a telecommunications system to obtain directions to a first location determined by previously stored first location data input by a first subscriber while at the first location, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request, from a second subscriber telecommunication device at a second location, for location services in the telecommunication network;

in response to said request, establishing communications between the second subscriber device and a telecommunication node that supports location services;

receiving at the node a request from the second subscriber for directions to the first location, the received request for directions including current location data corresponding to a current location of the second subscriber, the request for directions further including identification of the first subscriber associated with the first location;

retrieving previously stored first location data corresponding to the first location by the node based at least in part on the identification of the first subscriber;

comparing the first location data and the current location data at the node to determine the position of the first location data relative to the current location data;

generating directions for traveling to the first location from the current location based on the first location data and the current location data;

transmitting the directions from the node to the second subscriber, thereby providing the second subscriber with directions for proceeding from the current location to the first location.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein the step of receiving a request for directions comprises receiving an access code at the node transmitted from the second subscriber, comparing the access code received from the second subscriber with an access code previously entered and stored by the first subscriber, and granting the second subscriber access to the first location data if the access code entered by the second subscriber matches the access code previously entered by the first subscriber.

6. The method according to claim 4 wherein the step of receiving a request for directions comprises receiving a first label at the node transmitted from the second subscriber, the first label associated with the first location data and serving to differentiate the first location data from any other location data that the first subscriber may have previously stored.

7. The method according to claim 4 wherein the first location data comprises geographical coordinates determined by a global positioning satellite system.

8. The method according to claim 6 wherein the step of retrieving comprises the step of locating a record stored in a database based at least in part on the first label.