Navigation device

• US 7,755,517 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2006
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Wilson, Andrew D., Sarin, Raman K.
• Primary Examiner(s): TWEEL JR, JOHN ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US11/471,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20070290837A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,484 Days
• Field of Search: 340/988, 340/995.27, 340/995.13, 340/995.26, 340/539.11, 340/539.13, 701/201, 701/224
• US Class Current: 340/988
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 17/30 Earth-inductor compasses
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence

Abstract

A mobile device is provided that includes a position determination mechanism, and a data store of locations including positions for each location. The mobile device is configured to determine its own position and, based on the position of the mobile device, which location is preferred. Upon that determination, the mobile device is configured to orient a pointer in the direction of the preferred location such that a user can move in the direction of the pointer and ultimately arrive at the preferred location.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium encoded with computer-executable components for navigating a mobile device to a location, the components comprising:

a positioning system configured to determine a current position, in geospatial terms, of the mobile device;

a locations data store in which resides information about positions for each location in a plurality of locations; and

a directional manager configured to;

retrieve the current position of the mobile device from the positioning system;

compare the current position to the positions of the locations in the locations data store to determine, without manual intervention and without user input, which of the plurality of locations is a preferred location; and

orient a pointer in a direction that leads to the preferred location, wherein the directional manager is further configured to continually update the orientation of the pointer as the mobile device moves and changes current position.

2. The computer-readable medium recited in claim 1, wherein the positioning system is further configured to determine a current orientation of the mobile device.

3. The computer-readable medium recited in claim 1, wherein the locations in the plurality of locations represent a physical place and the position of each location is defined using geospatial terms.

4. The computer-readable medium recited in claim 1, wherein the preferred location is a location nearest the mobile device.

5. The computer-readable medium recited in claim 1, wherein the preferred location is determined by considering weighting factors attached to each location.

6. The computer-readable medium recited in claim 1, wherein the location data store further includes mapping data that describes roadways.

7. The computer-readable medium recited in claim 6, wherein the directional manager is further configured to compute a route along the roadways that leads to the preferred location, and wherein the directional manager is further configured to orient the pointer along the route.

8. The computer-readable medium recited in claim 7, wherein the locations data store includes a second plurality of locations, and wherein the mobile device further includes a selection mechanism that allows a selection of which of the plurality of locations the directional manager should use to determine the preferred location.

9. The computer-readable medium recited in claim 1, wherein the directional manager is further configured to render a image on a display based on the current position of the mobile device, the image being associated with the preferred location, or with any location proximate to the current position, or both.

10. The computer-readable medium recited in claim 1, wherein the locations data store is upgradeable with new information.

11. A navigation device, comprising:

a positioning system configured to determine a current position, in geospatial terms, and orientation of the navigation device;

a locations data store in which resides information about positions for each location in a plurality of locations;

a communication component configured to enable communications between the navigation device and an external system; and

a system memory in which is executing a directional manager, the directional manager being configured to cause the navigation device to;

retrieve the current position of the navigation device from the positioning system;

compare the current position to the positions of the locations in the locations data store to determine, without manual intervention and without user input, which of the plurality of location is a preferred location;

orient a pointer in a direction that leads to the preferred location; and

update the locations data store with new information by retrieving the new information using the communication component.

12. The navigation device recited in claim 11, wherein the directional manager is further configured to continually update the orientation of the pointer as the mobile device moves and changes current position.

13. The navigation device recited in claim 11, wherein the directional manager is further configured to render a image on a display based on the current position of the navigation device, the image being associated with the preferred location, or with any location proximate to the current position, or both.

14. The navigation device recited in claim 11, wherein the locations in the plurality of locations represent a physical place and the position of each location is defined using geospatial terms.

15. The navigation device recited in claim 11, wherein the preferred location is a location nearest the navigation device.

16. The navigation device recited in claim 11, wherein the preferred location is determined by considering weighting factors attached to each location.

17. A computer-readable medium encoded with computer-executable instructions for navigating a mobile device toward a destination, comprising:

receiving a first signal indicating a position and an orientation of the mobile device;

storing in a location data store information about positions for each location in a plurality of locations;

comparing the position to the positions of the locations in the data store to determine, without manual intervention and without user input, which of the plurality of locations is a preferred location;

computing a direction from the mobile device to the preferred location; and

orienting a pointer in the direction to the preferred location.

18. The computer-readable medium recited in claim 17, wherein the preferred location is a location nearest the mobile device.

19. The computer-readable medium recited in claim 17, wherein the direction to the preferred location is continually updated and the pointer is continually re-oriented as the mobile device moves.