Method and system for interactive mapping to provide goal-oriented instructions

• US 7,729,708 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2005
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Location Based Services, LLC (Leigh M. Rothschild)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Lord, Robert W., Levien, Royce A., Jung, Edward K. Y., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryman; Daniel J
• Assistant Examiner(s): DECKER, CASSANDRA L
• Application Number:
  US11/047,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20060171308A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,947 Days
• Field of Search: 370/254, 370/252, 370/445, 370/328, 701/201
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096883 where input information is obtained using a mobile device, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA

Abstract

Provided is a computer system and methods for directing mobile peer devices. A method includes receiving an itinerary identifying one or more goals for the peer devices; receiving a priority associated with the itinerary, the priority identifying at least one goal of the one or more goals, the priority listing the at least one goal in order of importance; determining a routing in accordance with the itinerary and the priority; and broadcasting the routing. A computer system includes a routing module coupled to a memory configurable to determine a routing based on priorities and itinerary goals; a receiver coupled to a processor configurable to receive the priorities and the itinerary goals from at least two peer devices over a wireless connection; and a transmitter coupled to the processor configurable to broadcast the routing to the peer devices, the routing configurable to direct the peer devices.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising computer readable storage media embedded with instructions for directing a mobile peer device to perform one or more acts comprising:

connecting with a decision-making device;

transmitting real-time location data of the mobile peer device to the decision-making device;

downloading a route from the decision-making device, the route determined from the real-time location data of the mobile peer device and from real-time location data of at least one or more other mobile peer devices;

displaying instructions for enabling the mobile peer device to meet a predetermined individual goal in accordance with an itinerary;

displaying instructions for enabling the mobile peer device to meet a predetermined group goal in accordance with the itinerary, the predetermined group goal differing at least in part from the predetermined individual goal;

identifying one or more itinerary alteration alternatives in a transmission to the decision-making device; and

receiving from the decision-making device one or more processed itinerary alterations, the one or more processed itinerary alterations providing one or more alternatives to the itinerary.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 further comprising:

wirelessly downloading the route to the mobile peer device and to the at least one or more other mobile peer devices.

3. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the downloading the route from the decision-making device includes:

downloading the route to the at least one or more other mobile peer devices which include one or more of electronic mapping devices, electronic personal assistants, cellular phones, pagers and/or computing devices.

4. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the identifying one or more itinerary alteration alternatives includes:

identifying an itinerary alteration alternative that includes one or more projected times for an event described in the itinerary.

5. The computer program product of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying a priority associated with the itinerary, wherein at least two or more predetermined individual or group goals are identified in order of importance.

6. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the displaying instructions for enabling the mobile peer device to meet a predetermined individual or group goal includes:

displaying to the mobile peer device a map and/or directions for the route.

7. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the connecting with the decision-making device includes:

connecting with a mesh network, the mesh network including each of the at least one or more other mobile peer devices, wherein one or more of the mobile peer devices operates as the decision-making device to direct the other mobile peer devices.

8. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the predetermined group goal comprises one or more sub-group goals, each sub-group goal having an itinerary which is different in part and shared in part with itineraries of the other sub-groups.

9. A method for a mobile peer device to receive a routing in real time to provide a route for the mobile peer device to follow an itinerary, the method comprising:

connecting with a decision-making device;

transmitting real-time location data of the mobile peer device to the decision-making device;

downloading the route from the decision-making device, the route determined from the real-time location data of the mobile peer device and from real-time location data of at least one or more other mobile peer devices;

displaying instructions for enabling the mobile peer device to meet a predetermined individual goal in accordance with the itinerary;

displaying instructions for enabling the mobile peer device to meet a predetermined group goal in accordance with the itinerary, the predetermined group goal differing at least in part from the predetermined individual goal;

identifying one or more itinerary alteration alternatives in a transmission to the decision-making device; and

receiving from the decision-making device one or more processed itinerary alterations, the one or more processed itinerary alterations providing one or more alternatives to the itinerary.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the identifying one or more itinerary alteration alternatives includes:

identifying at least one itinerary alteration alternative to the predetermined group goal that includes a location at which the at least one or more other mobile peer devices could meet the mobile peer device.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

performing peer negotiation between the mobile peer device and the at least one or more other mobile peer devices to determine the itinerary.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the identifying one or more itinerary alteration alternatives includes:

identifying a predetermined individual or group goal that includes one or more projected times for a location described in the itinerary.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the identifying one or more itinerary alteration alternatives includes:

identifying one or more alternate itineraries with the predetermined individual or predetermined group goal of a time at which the at least one or more other mobile peer devices could meet with the mobile peer device.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the connecting with the decision-making device includes:

connecting with the decision-making device, wherein the decision-making device comprises a server or at least one or more other mobile peer devices.

15. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

updating the route based on real-time location data received from the at least one or more other mobile peer devices; and

downloading an updated route from the decision-making device to the mobile peer device and to the at least one or more other mobile peer devices.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein the connecting with the decision-making device includes:

connecting with a designated mobile peer device of the least one or more other mobile peer devices, the designated mobile peer device acting as a server to the other mobile peer devices.

17. The method of claim 9 wherein the connecting with the decision-making device includes:

connecting with a mesh network, the mesh network including each of the at least one or more other mobile peer devices, wherein one or more of the mobile peer devices operates as the decision-making device to direct the other mobile peer devices.

18. The method of claim 9 wherein the displaying the instructions for enabling the mobile peer device to meet the predetermined individual or group goal in accordance with the itinerary includes:

enabling a user of the mobile peer device to alter the itinerary on the fly.

19. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

broadcasting the route to the at least one or more other mobile peer devices via one or more of a wireless local area network (WLAN), a cellular system, a global positioning system (GPS), a radio frequency system, an infrared system, an IEEE 802.11 system, and/or a wireless Bluetooth system.

20. The method of claim 9 wherein the downloading the route from the decision-making device includes:

downloading the route to the mobile peer device via one or more of a wireless local area network (WLAN), a cellular system, a global positioning system (GPS), a radio frequency system, an infrared system, an IEEE 802.11 system, and/or a wireless Bluetooth system.

21. The method of claim 9 wherein the downloading the route from the decision-making device includes:

downloading the route to one of the following type of mobile peer device;

electronic mapping device, electronic personal assistant, cellular phone, pager, and/or computing device.

22. The method of claim 9 wherein the displaying instructions for enabling the mobile peer device to meet a predetermined individual or group goal includes:

displaying to the mobile peer device a map and/or directions for the route.

23. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

downloading to the at least one or more other mobile peer devices a map and/or directions for the route.

24. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

providing a transmission to the decision-making device to identify a priority associated with the itinerary, wherein at least two or more predetermined individual or group goals are identified in order of importance.

25. The method of claim 9 wherein the identifying one or more itinerary alteration alternatives includes:

identifying a predetermined individual or group goal that includes one or more projected times for an event described in the itinerary.

26. The method of claim 9 wherein the predetermined group goal comprises one or more sub-group goals, each sub-group goal having an itinerary which is different in part and shared in part with itineraries of the other sub-groups.

27. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory including;

a module configured to enable a connection with a decision-making device; and

a module configured to identify one or more itinerary alteration alternatives in a transmission to the decision-making device; and

a transmitter coupled to the processor operable to transmit real-time location data of the mobile peer device to the decision-making device, the transmitter operable to receive from the decision-making device one or more processed itinerary alterations, the one or more processed itinerary alterations providing one or more alternatives to the itinerary;

a data store coupled to the processor, the data store operable to receive a route from the decision-making device, the route determined from the real-time location data of the mobile peer device and from real-time location data of at least one or more other mobile peer devices; and

a display coupled to the processor, the display configured to display instructions to enable the mobile peer device to meet a predetermined individual goal in accordance with the itinerary, the display further configured to display instructions to enable the mobile peer device to meet a predetermined group goal in accordance with the itinerary, the predetermined group goal differing at least in part from the predetermined individual goal.

28. The computer system of claim 27 wherein the transmitter is further configured to enable a connection with a mesh network, the mesh network including each of the at least one or more other mobile peer devices, wherein one or more of the mobile peer devices operates as the decision-making device to direct the other mobile peer devices.

29. The computer system of claim 27 wherein the display is further configured to enable a user of the mobile peer device to alter the itinerary on the fly.

30. The computer system of claim 27 wherein the predetermined group goal comprises one or more sub-group goals, each sub-group goal having an itinerary which is different in part and shared in part with itineraries of the other sub-groups.

31. The computer system of claim 27 wherein the module configured to identify one or more itinerary alteration alternatives is further configured to identify a predetermined individual or group goal that includes one or more projected times for an event described in the itinerary.