Navigation service over wireless voice networks

• US 8,165,801 B1
• Filed: 08/25/2009
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Jintaseranee, Kosol, Bali, Soshant
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOUIE, WAE LENNY
• Application Number:
  US12/547,173
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• Field of Search: 701/201, 701/202, 701/204, 701/208, 701/117, 701/119, 701/209, 701/211, 701/213, 340/461, 340/995.19, 455/433, 370/458
• US Class Current: 701/408
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00

Abstract

A wireless communication device transmits first text messaging to a navigation computer system. The first text messaging indicates an identity, initial location, and destination location for the wireless communication device. The navigation computer system processes the first text messaging to determine navigation instructions from the initial location to the destination location and to initiate a voice call to the wireless communication device. The wireless communication device processes a caller number for the voice call to answer the call in speaker-phone mode and to transfer second text messaging to the navigation computer system. The second text messaging indicates current locations of the wireless communication device. The navigation computer system processes the second text messaging to transfer the navigation instructions over the voice call based on the current locations of the wireless communication device. The wireless communication device receives the navigation instructions over the voice call and audibly presents the navigation instructions.

Claims

1. A method of operating a navigation system comprising:

in a navigation computer system, receiving first text messaging transmitted by a wireless communication device for a navigation session over a wireless voice link wherein the first text messaging indicates an identity of the wireless communication device, an initial location of the wireless communication device, and a destination location for the wireless communication device;

in the navigation computer system, processing the first text messaging to determine navigation instructions from the initial location to the destination location and to initiate a voice call to the wireless communication device;

in the navigation computer system, receiving second text messaging transmitted by the wireless communication device indicating current locations of the wireless communication device;

in the navigation computer system, processing the second text messaging to select and transfer audio versions of the navigation instructions over the voice call based on the current locations of the wireless communication device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, in the wireless communication device, determining that the navigation session is not available over a wireless data network, and in response, prompting the user, receiving a user selection, and transmitting the first text messaging for delivery to the navigation computer system.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising, in the wireless communication device, processing a caller number for the voice call, and in response, automatically answering the voice call in speaker-phone mode.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising, in the wireless communication device, processing the caller number for the voice call, and in response, automatically transferring the second text messaging for delivery to the navigation computer system.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising, in the navigation computer system, processing the second text messaging to determine that the wireless communication device will lose wireless voice communication service, and in response, transferring third text messaging for delivery to the wireless communication device, wherein the third text messaging correlates future locations of the wireless communication device to future ones of the navigation instructions.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising, in the navigation computer system, transferring the future ones of the navigation instructions over the voice call in a batch in response to determining that the wireless communication device will lose the wireless voice communication service.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising, in the wireless communication device, receiving the third text messaging and the batch of the future navigation instructions, and in response, audibly presenting individual ones of the future navigation instructions based on the current locations of the wireless communication device.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein transferring the future navigation instructions over the voice call in the batch comprises separating the individual ones of the future navigation instructions in the batch by a time period.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein presenting the individual ones of the future navigation instructions comprises identifying the individual ones of the future navigation instructions based on the time period separation and individually correlating the future navigation instructions to the future locations based on the third text messaging.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless voice link comprises a 1x wireless voice link.

11. A navigation system comprising:

a wireless communication device configured to determine that navigation is not available over a wireless data network, and in response, prompt the user for a navigation session over a wireless voice link and transmit first text messaging for delivery to a navigation computer system, wherein the first text messaging indicates an identity, an initial location, and a destination location for the wireless communication device;

the navigation computer system configured to receive and process the first text messaging to determine navigation instructions from the initial location to the destination location and to initiate a voice call to the wireless communication device;

the wireless communication device configured to process a caller number for the voice call, and in response, automatically answer the voice call in speaker-phone mode and transfer second text messaging for delivery to the navigation computer system, wherein the second text messaging indicates current locations of the wireless communication device;

the navigation computer system configured to receive and process the second text messaging to select and transfer audio versions of the navigation instructions over the voice call based on the current locations of the wireless communication device;

the wireless communication device configured to receive the audio versions of the navigation instructions over the voice call and audibly present the navigation instructions.

12. The navigation system of claim 11 wherein the navigation computer system is configured to process the second text messaging to determine that the wireless communication device will lose wireless voice communication service, and in response, transfer third text messaging for delivery to the wireless communication device, wherein the third text messaging correlates future locations of the wireless communication device to future ones of the navigation instructions.

13. The navigation system of claim 12 wherein the navigation computer system is configured to transfer the future ones of the navigation instructions over the voice call in a batch in response to determining that the wireless communication device will lose the wireless voice communication service.

14. The navigation system of claim 13 wherein the wireless communication device is configured to receive the third text messaging and the batch of the future navigation instructions, and in response, audibly present individual ones of the future navigation instructions based on the current locations of the wireless communication device.

15. The navigation system of claim 14 wherein the navigation computer system is configured to separate the individual ones of the future navigation instructions in the batch by a time period for the transfer of the future navigation instructions over the voice call.

16. The navigation system of claim 15 wherein the wireless communication device is configured to identify the individual ones of the future navigation instructions based on the time period separation and to individually correlate the future navigation instructions to the future locations based on the third text messaging.

17. The navigation system of claim 11 wherein the navigation instructions comprise turn-by-turn directions.

18. The navigation system of claim 11 wherein the wireless voice link comprises a voice paging channel that carries the text messaging and a voice bearer channel that carries the audio versions of the navigation instructions.

19. The navigation system of claim 11 wherein the wireless communication device comprises a Global Positioning Satellite receiver.

20. The navigation system of claim 11 wherein the wireless voice link comprises a 1x wireless voice link.