Method and apparatus for providing location-specific information through a mobile device

• US 7,576,644 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2006
• Issued: 08/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Hart, Matt E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pope; Daryl
• Application Number:
  US11/481,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20080007399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.11, 340/539.1, 340/539.13, 340/825.36, 340/825.49, 369/70, 455/18, 455/67.11, 455/67.12, 455/67.13
• US Class Current: 340/539.11
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map

Abstract

A system that provides location-specific information through a mobile device. During operation, the system receives coordinates for a physical location of the mobile device from a global-positioning system (GPS) receiver within the mobile device. The system then retrieves a description of a point of interest within a specified range of the coordinates received for the physical location and presents the description of the point of interest to a user through the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method for providing location-specific information through a mobile device to a user, comprising:

receiving coordinates of a mobile device'"'"'s physical location using a global-positioning system (GPS) receiver;

retrieving a description of a point-of-interest which is located within a specified range of the mobile device'"'"'s coordinates, wherein the mobile device uses the received coordinates of the physical location to select the description of the point-of-interest; and

wherein the description depends on the route taken by the user; and

presenting the description to the user through the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the description is presented to the user as an audio description.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the description is presented to the user as a visual description.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the description is retrieved from a remote storage.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the description is retrieved from a local storage within the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the description is updated on a periodic basis.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the description is updated through a wireless network.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the description is updated through a wired connection.

9. The method of claim 1,

wherein the description is created by a user or another user;

and

wherein the user-created description is stored on a local storage within the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 1,

wherein the description is created by a user or another user;

and

wherein the user-created description is shared with other mobile-device users.

11. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for providing location-specific information through a mobile device to a user, wherein the method comprises:

receiving coordinates of a mobile device'"'"'s physical location using a global-positioning system (GPS) receiver;

retrieving a description of a point-of-interest which is located within a specified range of the mobile device'"'"'s coordinates, wherein the mobile device uses the received coordinates of the physical location to select the description of the point-of-interest; and

wherein the description depends on the route taken by the user; and

presenting the description to the user through the mobile device.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the description is presented to the user as an audio description.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the description is presented to the user as a visual description.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the description is retrieved from a remote storage.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the description is retrieved from a local storage within the mobile device.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the description is updated on a periodic basis.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the description is updated through a wireless network.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the description is updated through a wired connection.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11,

wherein the description is created by a user or another user and

wherein the user-created description is stored on a local storage within the mobile device.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11,

wherein the description is created by a user or another user;

and

wherein the user-created description is shared with other mobile-device users.

21. An apparatus that provides location-specific information to a user, comprising:

a global-positioning system (GPS) receiver configured to receive coordinates of the apparatus'"'"'s physical location;

a retrieving mechanism configured to retrieve a description of a point-of interest which is located within a specified range of the apparatus'"'"'s coordinates, wherein the apparatus uses the received coordinates of its physical location to select the description of the point-of-interest; and

wherein the description depends on the route taken by the user; and

a presenting mechanism configured to present the description to the user.

22. The apparatus of claim 21,

wherein the description is created by a user or another user and

wherein the user-created description is stored on a local storage within the apparatus.

23. The apparatus of claim 21,

wherein the description is created by a user or another user;

and

wherein the user-created description is shared with other mobile-device users.