System and method for selective navigation tracking

• US 7,701,360 B1
• Filed: 06/20/2008
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fleet Connect Solutions LLC (Empire IP LLC)
• Original Assignee: Union Beach Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Tannenbaum, Mary C., Tannenbaum, David H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout; Brent
• Application Number:
  US12/143,715
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 340/601, 340/905, 3409951-99527, 340/539.13, 701208-213
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network

Abstract

There is disclosed systems and methods for controlling communication of navigation positioning information from a source of said information to another device for tracking purposes. In one embodiment, a user having a communicating device that maintains a record of its present location establishes a communication link to one or more selected targets and then grants permission to his/her device to continually send updates of his/her device'"'"'s position to said selected other devices. These updated communications can be on a data channel of a voice communication device if desired. In one embodiment, said receiving device can deliver said coordinates (translated into street locations if desired) in an audio fashion, or said receiving device can visually display (perhaps on a grid overlay) said position of said sending device or environmental data from said sending device.

Claims

1. A method for operating a navigational display, said method comprising:

displaying on a navigation display a navigation routing of a trip having a plurality of points along said routing;

receiving data under control of a processor associated with said display from at least one transmitting device remote from said navigation display, said transmitting device being an environmental sensor positioned at ones of said points and operable for sending environmental data pertaining to a point where said sensor is positioned, said received data from each said device pertaining to environmental conditions at said point of each said device, said received data containing, in addition to said environmental condition data, geographical position data corresponding to said location of each said device; and

overlaying under control of said processor said received environmental data on said displayed navigation routing at the appropriate geographical trip point corresponding to said environmental data, each said appropriate geographical point based upon said received geographical position data pertaining to said point.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said navigational displaying is on a mobile device, and wherein said method further comprises:

providing a geographical position of said mobile device to said at least one transmitting device such that said received environmental data is tailored to said geographical position.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

adjusting said environmental condition data for the time of arrival of said mobile device at each said point.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said navigational displaying is within a terrestrial vehicle, and wherein said method further comprises:

providing said environmental condition data for an estimated time of arrival of said vehicle at each said location as determined by an anticipated speed of said vehicle along said routing.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said environmental conditions are selected from the list of:

weather, road conditions, traffic conditions, speed limits, repair crews, construction.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said displayed navigational routing is a medium printed from a computer, and wherein said method further comprises:

adjusting said environmental condition data for the time of arrival at each said point of a traveler moving along said route.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein said environmental conditions are delivered from a communication device associated with environmental sensors pre-positioned at said certain points.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said environmental sensor comprises a speed limit notification.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said environmental sensor comprises current traffic conditions.