Apparatus and method for displaying traffic information using widgets in mobile terminal

• US 8,200,204 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2009
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Cho, Dae Hee
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro, Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Mahendra
• Application Number:
  US12/507,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20100022228A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 455/186.1, 455/228, 455/345, 455/45, 455/161.3, 455/158.4, 340/905, 379/224, 379/229, 379/269, 370/432
• US Class Current: 455/414.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/094 Hardware aspects; Signal processing or signal properties, e.g. frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

An apparatus and method of displaying traffic information using at least one widget in a mobile terminal are provided. The method of displaying traffic information in a mobile terminal includes receiving traffic information from at least one broadcasting station through at least one digital broadcasting channel, and displaying the traffic information on a standby screen with at least one of an image file and a text file using the at least one widget. Thereby, a user can determine a traffic situation using the traffic information provided on the standby screen using the at least one widget. Further, even when no navigation device is provided in the mobile terminal, the user can conveniently receive traffic information.

Claims

1. A method of displaying traffic information in a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

receiving traffic information from at least one broadcasting station through at least one digital broadcasting channel;

receiving information of a location of the mobile terminal,

determining traffic information matched to the location information from the received traffic information by determining whether a distance between coordinates corresponding to a present location of the mobile terminal and coordinates corresponding to each respective received traffic information is within a predefined threshold,

extracting the traffic information matched to the location information from the received traffic information,

displaying the extracted traffic information matched to the location information on a standby screen with at least one of an image file and a text file using at least one widget without actively running a map information application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one widget displays the traffic information using an auxiliary screen on the standby screen.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the extracted traffic information comprises safe driving information representing at least one of a damaged road location, a frozen road segment location, a tunnel location, and a speed camera location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the extracted traffic information comprises a road traffic message representing at least one of a traffic accident location, a location of a gathering, and a road construction location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the traffic information comprises:

enlarging and reducing a size of the auxiliary screen; and

moving a location of the auxiliary screen based on actuation of a direction key by a user.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the traffic information matched to the location information is extracted without running a map information application.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the extracted traffic information is extracted as at least one of an image file and a text file.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the traffic information includes discontinuing displaying any traffic information which has been displayed for a predefined time period.

6. A mobile terminal for displaying traffic information, the terminal comprising:

a broadcasting reception unit for receiving traffic information from at least one broadcasting station through at least one digital broadcasting channel;

a location reception unit for receiving information of a location of the mobile terminal; and

a controller for controlling to determine traffic information matched to the location information from the received traffic information by determining whether a distance between coordinates corresponding to a present location of the mobile terminal and coordinates corresponding to each respective received traffic information is within a predefined threshold, for controlling to extract traffic information matched to the location information from the received traffic information, and for controlling to display the extracted traffic information matched to the location information on a standby screen with at least one of an image file and a text file using at least one widget without actively running a map information application.

7. The terminal of claim 6, wherein the at least one widget displays the traffic information using an auxiliary screen on the standby screen.

8. The terminal of claim 6, wherein the extracted traffic information comprises safe driving information representing at least one of a damaged road location, a frozen road segment location, a tunnel location, and a speed camera location.

9. The terminal of claim 6, wherein the extracted traffic information comprises a road traffic message representing at least one of a traffic accident location, a location of a gathering, and a road construction location.

10. The terminal of claim 6, wherein the controller comprises a widget processor for displaying the traffic information included in Transport Protocol Expert Group (TPEG) data received from at least one broadcasting station through the broadcasting reception unit on an auxiliary screen of the standby screen.

11. The terminal of claim 10, wherein the widget processor enlarges and reduces a size of the auxiliary screen, and moves a location of the auxiliary screen based on actuation of a direction key by a user.

15. The terminal of claim 6, wherein the controller controls to extract the traffic information matched to the location information without running the map information application.