Apparatus and method for enhancing the utilization of distance measuring devices

• US 7,822,547 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2006
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Lindroos, Sanna
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli; Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US11/595,431
• Publication Number:
  US 20080114538A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,447 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/00 Measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, persons, animals or other moving solid bodies, e.g. using odometers, using pedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems

Abstract

Systems, apparatuses and methods for enhancing the utilization of distance measuring devices using electronic communication devices. A route(s) presentable via a map or map segment may be presented via a mobile device. A distance walked, jogged, or otherwise traveled by a user of the mobile device can be determined using a distance measuring device, such as a step counter. The resulting distance traveled is associated with the presented route to indicate an approximate location of the user on the presented route. The route may be any imaginary or virtual route, whereby the user'"'"'s actual distance traveled on his/her actual route is depicted on the map/map segment as traveling on the virtual route. Communication tools allow data to be obtained, messages to be communicated, and other services to be performed at certain times and/or in connection with reached locations along the route.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

causing, at least in part, actions that result in presentation of at least one route via a mobile device;

determining a distance traveled by the mobile device; and

associating the distance traveled with the presented route to indicate an approximate location of the device on the presented route,

wherein the presented route corresponds to a virtual route different from an actual route physically traveled, and

at least one of a starting location and a destination location of the virtual route is different from a starting location and a destination location of the actual route.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing, at least in part, actions that result in presentation on the mobile device of progress along the virtual route made by other mobile devices that are actually and virtually travelling on the virtual route.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising facilitating user modification from a current virtual route to a new virtual route, and applying the distance traveled to the new virtual route.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising invoking a communication application to enable user communication appearing to a recipient to originate from a location along the virtual route.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising facilitating user selection of at least a portion of the virtual route in which the travel will be simulated.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising facilitating user modification of the virtual route to be traveled to the destination.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a distance traveled comprises approximating the distance traveled using a step counter.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a distance traveled comprises approximating the distance traveled by comparing a current location with the starting location.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein comparing the current location with the starting location comprises comparing global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the current and starting locations.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the distance traveled with the presented route comprises superimposing a progressive visual course on the presented route substantially corresponding to the distance traveled along the presented route.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting at least one route via a mobile device comprises presenting a map segment including one or more available virtual routes, and wherein associating the distance traveled with the presented route comprises depicting a traveled distance on a selected one of the available virtual routes.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising facilitating user selection of one of the available virtual routes to identify the selected one of the available routes.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting information when the device reaches a marked point along the virtual route.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising facilitating user designation of one or more marked points.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising invoking a data connectivity application when the device reaches the marked point along the virtual route, and presenting the information obtained via the data connectivity application.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising invoking a postcard application to initiate dispatch of a postcard corresponding to a vicinity along the virtual route.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the distance traveled comprises adjusting the distance traveled in view of altitude contours of the actual route traveled.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising invoking a communication application to initiate communication to another device corresponding a marked point on the virtual route.

19. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

determine a distance traveled along a route by a mobile device;

determine an approximate location relative to the route based on the distance; and

cause, at least in part, actions that result in presentation on the mobile device of the route and at least the approximate location relative to the route,

wherein the presented route corresponds to a virtual route different from an actual route physically traveled, and

at least one of a starting location and a destination location of the virtual route is different from a starting location and a destination location of the actual route.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the apparatus is further caused to cause, at least in part, actions that result in presentation on the mobile device of progress along the virtual route made by other mobile devices that are actually and virtually travelling on the virtual route.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the apparatus is further caused to provide the distance as a distance traveled relative to the starting location.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the apparatus is further caused to provide the distance as a step count by a user relative to the starting location, and to calculate the distance traveled by the user based on the step count and a step length of the user.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the apparatus is further caused to provide the distance as coordinates of a user'"'"'s current physical location, and to calculate the distance traveled by determining the difference between the coordinates of the user'"'"'s current physical location and coordinates of a reference location.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the apparatus comprises a global positioning system (GPS) receiver.

25. The apparatus of claim 19, the apparatus is further caused to enable user communication appearing to a recipient to originate from a location along the virtual route.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, the apparatus is further caused to enable at least the receipt of data at the apparatus in response to the apparatus reaching a location on the virtual route.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, the apparatus is further caused to allow a user to mark one or more locations on the virtual route in which to receive the data.

28. The apparatus of claim 19, the apparatus is further caused to initiate dispatch of a postcard corresponding to a vicinity along the virtual route.

29. A method comprising:

causing, at least in part, actions that result in reception of route selection data and travel distance data from a first device;

determining a distance traveled by the first device based on the received travel distance data; and

causing, at least in part, actions that result in provision of a map segment to the first device, the map segment including at least one virtual route that is identified using the route selection data and that is different from an actual route physically traveled, and the map segment also including an identification of an approximate location on the at least one virtual route corresponding to a current actual location of the first device based on the distance traveled,

wherein at least one of a starting location and a destination location of the virtual route is different from a starting location and a destination location of the actual route.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising causing, at least in part, actions that result in reception of updates of the travel distance data, determining an updated distance traveled by the first device, and providing an updated map segment to the first device, wherein the map segment identifies on the at least one virtual route the approximate location of the first device based on the updated distance traveled.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein providing a map segment comprises providing map segment including the at least one identified virtual route and a depiction of the distance traveled in view of a known scale of the map segment.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein determining a distance traveled comprises using the user travel distance data directly as the distance traveled.

33. The method of claim 29, further comprising causing, at least in part, actions that result in reception of a step length value, wherein the travel distance data comprises a step count, and wherein determining a distance traveled comprises calculating a mathematical product of the step length and the step count.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein the travel distance data comprises coordinates of the current actual location of the first device, and wherein determining a distance traveled comprises comparing the coordinates of the current actual location of the first device with coordinates of the starting location of the actual route.

35. The method of claim 29, wherein:

causing, at least in part, actions that result in reception of route selection data and travel distance data from a first device and one or more second devices;

determining a distance traveled by each of the first and second devices; and

causing, at least in part, actions that result in provision of a map segment to the first and second devices, the map segments including routes identified using the respective route selection data and respective current locations of the first and second devices based on the respective distances traveled.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising determining if any of the devices among the first and second devices are traveling on a common actual or virtual route, and transmitting at least one message between the devices determined to be on a common actual or virtual route.

37. The method of claim 35, further comprising determining if any of the devices among the first and second devices reach a marked location on an actual or virtual route, and transmitting at least one message to one or more of the other devices in response thereto.

38. The method of claim 35, further comprising facilitating communication between any of the first and second devices.

39. The method of claim 35, further comprising initiating group communication between any two or more of the first and second devices when the two or more of the first and second devices are within a predetermined location on the route from one another.

40. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

cause, at least in part, actions that result in reception of route selection data and travel distance data from one or more communication devices;

identify actual or virtual travel routes for each of the one or more communication devices in response to the received route selection data, and calculate actual distances traveled by each respective one or more of the communication devices in response to the received travel distance data; and

cause, at least in part, actions that result in selective provision of map segments to each of the one or more communication devices, each of the map segments including the identified actual or virtual routes for the respective communication device, and an identification of the respective location on the respective actual or virtual route using the calculated actual distances traveled.

41. A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following steps:

causing, at least in part, actions that result in presentation of at least one route via a display of a mobile device;

determining a distance traveled by the device; and

associating the distance traveled with the presented route to indicate an approximate location of the device on the presented route,

wherein the presented route corresponds to a virtual route different from an actual route physically traveled, and

at least one of a starting location and a destination location of the virtual route is different from a starting location and a destination location of the actual route.

42. A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following steps:

causing, at least in part, actions that result in reception of route selection data and travel distance data from a first device;

determining a distance traveled by the first device based on the received travel distance data; and

causing, at least in part, actions that result in provision of a map segment to the first device, the map segment including at least one route identified using the route selection data; and

including an identification on the at least one route a current location of the first device based on the distance traveled.

43. A system comprising:

a mobile device including;

a distance measuring device configured to determine a distance traveled along a route by the mobile device;

a processor configured to determine an approximate location relative to the route based on the distance, and to cause, at least in part, actions that result in presentation on the mobile device of the route and at least the approximate location relative to the route, the presented route corresponding to a virtual route different from an actual route physically traveled, and at least one of a starting location and a destination location of the virtual route being different from a starting location and a destination location of the actual route;

a transmitter configured to transmit the distance and route selection data;

a network entity including;

a receiver configured to receive the route selection data and the distance;

a processor configured to identify at least one route for the mobile device in response to the received route selection data, and to calculate an actual distance traveled by the mobile device in response to the received distance; and

a transmitter configured to transmit at least one map segment to the mobile device, the at least one map segment including the identified route, and an identification of the location on the route using the calculated actual distances traveled.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the mobile device further includes a display configured to present the route and the identified location on the route.

45. A method comprising:

causing, at least in part, actions that result in presentation of at least one route via a mobile device, the presented route corresponding to a virtual route different from an actual route physically traveled;

determining a distance traveled by the mobile device;

associating the distance traveled with the presented route to indicate an approximate location of the device on the presented route; and

facilitating user modification from a current virtual route to a new virtual route, and applying the distance traveled to the new virtual route.

46. A method comprising:

causing, at least in part, actions that result in presentation of at least one route via a mobile device;

determining a distance traveled by the mobile device;

associating the distance traveled with the presented route to indicate an approximate location of the device on the presented route; and

invoking a communication application to enable user communication appearing to a recipient to originate from a location along the route.

47. A method comprising:

causing, at least in part, actions that result in presentation of at least one route via a mobile device;

determining a distance traveled by the mobile device;

associating the distance traveled with the presented route to indicate an approximate location of the device on the presented route; and

facilitating user modification of the route to be traveled to a destination.