Mobile device and geographic information system background and summary of the related art

• US 8,060,112 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2009
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intellient Spatial Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Frank, Christopher E., Grillo, Michael H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Huy D
• Application Number:
  US12/398,016
• Publication Number:
  US 20090227269A1
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.4, 455/456.5, 455/456.6
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and mobile device for providing geographic information to a user. The system includes a mobile device that is wirelessly connected to a geographic database. The mobile device includes a plurality of sensors for determining a first location and a first direction. A controller is adapted to provide information requested based on local queries and distal queries. In addition, the controller can respond to thematic queries of each variety, wherein the database search is limited to objects, entities or features that fit within a selected theme. Finally, the controller is adapted to select and order query results based upon two- and three-dimensional query windows.

Claims

1. A system for providing geographic information comprising:

a database containing geographic information, the database accessible via a network connection; and

a mobile device including a headset and Global Positioning System (GPS) enabled device connectable to the database from a remote location, the GPS enabled device including at least a controller and a position sensor for determining a location of the mobile device and the headset including at least a digital compass being adapted to orient the mobile device pointing in a direction to intersect a particular one of an object, geographical feature or location of interest to a user, the controller of the GPS enabled device being adapted to receive a thematic query from a user, the controller being further adapted to retrieve a portion of the geographic information from the database selected by a combination of the location of the mobile device, a pointing direction of the mobile device and the thematic query, and the geographical information is about the particular object, geographical feature or location.

2. The system of claim 1, where the system further comprises a wireless router for connecting the mobile device to the database.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the headset includes a pitch sensor for determining a first angle usable by the controller to compute the pointing direction, and a yaw sensor for determining a second angle usable by the controller to compute the pointing direction.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further includes a display connected to the GPS enabled device for presenting information of interest to a user.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the thematic query includes a predetermined set of object classes from which the system may select in determining a response to a thematic query.