Systems and methods for providing geographical information to a mobile communications device

• US 8,374,778 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2012
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Corp.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Soelberg, Emily
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US13/572,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20120310528A1
• Time in Patent Office: 183 Days
• Field of Search: 701/409, 701/411, 701/421, 701/431, 701/430, 701/420, 455/451, 455/456.3, 342/357.09
• US Class Current: 701/409
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3896 Transmission of map data from central databases

Abstract

A system for providing a tailored route to a mobile communications device over a wireless communications network. The system includes a map server including a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to make the map server operable to prepare a basic route from a route origin to a route destination and obtain information regarding characteristics of the wireless communications network along the basic route. The processor is further made operable to prepare the tailored route using the basic route and the network characteristics information and provide the tailored route to the mobile communications device over the wireless communications network.

Claims

1. A system, for transmitting a tailored route to a mobile communications device, comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium being in operative communication with the processor and having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

preparing the tailored route using a basic route, and information regarding characteristics of a wireless communications network;

identifying multiple parts of the tailored route to be provided separately to the mobile communications device;

transmitting a first part of the multiple parts of the tailored route to the mobile communications device;

identifying a condition precedent to sending a second part of the multiple parts of the tailored route to the mobile communications device;

determining that the condition precedent has been met; and

transmitting the second part of the tailored route to the mobile communications device in response to determining that the condition precedent has been met.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the condition is the mobile communications device moving into a second portion of the wireless communications network, the second portion having at least one feature selected from a group of features consisting of:

having better network coverage than a first portion of the wireless communications network in which the mobile communications device is positioned when the first part of the tailored route is provided to the mobile communications device;

having better load characteristics than the first portion of the wireless communications network;

being expected to have better network coverage than the first portion of the wireless communications network; and

being expected to have better load characteristics than the first portion of the wireless communications network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine that the condition precedent has been met, cause the processor to determine, subsequent to transmitting the first part of the tailored route, that the condition precedent has been met.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the operations further comprising:

preparing the basic route being from a route origin to a route destination; and

accessing the information regarding characteristics of the wireless communications network along the basic route.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the operation of accessing the information regarding characteristics of the wireless communications network along the basic route, cause the processor to receive the information regarding characteristics of the wireless communications network along the basic route from an evaluation server having prepared the information based on an analysis of the wireless communications network.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the operations further comprising:

receiving a route request from the mobile communications device; and

preparing the basic route in response to receiving the request from the mobile communications device.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein:

the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to prepare the basic route, cause the processor to categorize, in a categorizing act, each section of multiple sections of the basic route into one of a plurality of categories based on characteristics of the wireless communications network associated with the section; and

the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to prepare the tailored route, cause the processor to prepare the tailored route to include more or less map data in places, with respect to the basic route, based on results of the categorizing act.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to prepare the basic route, cause the processor to prepare a strict route including only a path of the basic route.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to prepare the basic route, cause the processor to prepare the strict route and first level extra map data adjacent the strict route to accommodate potential re-routing in the event of a detour from the strict route by the mobile communications device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to prepare the tailored route, cause the processor to determine an amount of second level extra map data to add to the first level extra map data of the basic route adjacent a piece of the basic route determined to be weak.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to prepare the tailored route, cause the processor to determine an amount by which to reduce the first level extra map data of the basic route adjacent a piece of the basic route determined to be strong.

12. A method, for transmitting a tailored route to a mobile communications device, comprising:

preparing, by a processing device of a wireless communications network, the tailored route using a basic route, and information regarding characteristics of the wireless communications network;

identifying, by the processing device, multiple parts of the tailored route to be provided separately to the mobile communications device;

transmitting, by the processing device, a first part of the multiple parts of the tailored route to the mobile communications device;

identifying, by the processing device, a condition precedent to sending a second part of the multiple parts of the tailored route to the mobile communications device;

determining, by the processing device, that the condition precedent has been met; and

transmitting, by the processing device, the second part of the tailored route to the mobile communications device in response to determining that the condition precedent has been met.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the condition is the mobile communications device moving into a second portion of the wireless communications network, the second portion having at least one feature selected from a group of features consisting of:

having better network coverage than a first portion of the wireless communications network in which the mobile communications device is positioned when the first part of the tailored route is provided to the mobile communications device;

having better load characteristics than the first portion of the wireless communications network;

being expected to have better network coverage than the first portion of the wireless communications network; and

being expected to have better load characteristics than the first portion of the wireless communications network.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

preparing, by the processing device, the basic route being from a route origin to a route destination; and

accessing, by the processing device, the information regarding characteristics of the wireless communications network along the basic route.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein accessing, by the processing device, the information regarding characteristics of the wireless communications network along the basic route comprises receiving, by the processing device, the information from an evaluation server having prepared the information regarding characteristics of the wireless communications network based on analysis of the wireless communications network.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving, by the processing device, a route request from the mobile communications device; and

preparing, by the processing device, the basic route in response to receiving the request from the mobile communications device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

preparing, by the processing device, the basic route comprises categorizing, by the processing device, each section of multiple sections of the basic route into one of a plurality of categories based on characteristics of the wireless communications network associated with the section; and

preparing, by the processing device, the tailored route comprises preparing, by the processing device, the tailored route to include more or less map data in places, with respect to the basic route, based on results of the categorizing act.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein preparing the basic route comprises:

preparing, by the processing device, a strict route including only a path of the basic route; and

preparing, by the processing device, first level extra map data adjacent the strict route to accommodate potential re-routing in the event of a detour from the strict route by the mobile communications device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein preparing, by the processing device, the tailored route comprises performing, by the processing device, at least one function selected from a group of functions consisting of:

determining an amount of second level extra map data to add to the first level extra map data of the basic route adjacent a piece of the basic route determined to be weak; and

determining an amount by which to reduce the first level extra map data of the basic route adjacent a piece of the basic route determined to be strong.

20. A tangible computer-readable storage device having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, for transmitting a tailored route to a mobile communications device, that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

preparing the tailored route using a basic route, and information regarding characteristics of a wireless communications network;

identifying multiple parts of the tailored route to be provided separately to the mobile communications device;

transmitting a first part of the multiple parts of the tailored route to the mobile communications device;

identifying a condition precedent to sending a second part of the multiple parts of the tailored route to the mobile communications device;

determining that the condition precedent has been met; and

transmitting the second part of the tailored route to the mobile communications device in response to determining that the condition precedent has been met.