GPS navigation code system

• US 8,386,163 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2011
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gary Severson
• Original Assignee: Gary Severson
• Inventors: Severson, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH-STEWART, DEMETRA R
• Application Number:
  US13/134,214
• Publication Number:
  US 20110238297A1
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/408
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3608 using speech input, e.g. using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3611 using character input or menus, e.g. menus of POIs character input methods in general G06F3/0233

Abstract

A GPS navigation code device that enables a driver to retrieve directions, without taking his eyes off the road. The user pre-programs the GPS navigation code device with a plurality of addressees or points of interest, and assigns unique navigation codes for each as keyboard entry and speech, all stored in local database within the GPS. While driving, the user presses a special address search mode key and inputs the unique navigation code by keyboard or speech pattern, views displayed address and accepts the same. When an unknown navigation code is entered, the GPS accesses a remote database through the Internet to recover the associated company name and business GPS coordinates. The remote database computes travel distance based on vehicle and business GPS coordinates, creating an ordered list that is presented to the GPS user, together with directions by map and speech on a turn-by-turn basis.

Claims

1. A GPS Navigation Code System comprising:

a. a GPS navigation device having Internet connectivity, a local database, an internal map database, display monitor, memory, processor, software generated or hardware data entry keyboard, sound input, sound output and a special key for activating address search;

b. said GPS navigation device being programmed by a user through a software generated or hardware data entry keyboard to record various addresses and points of interest;

c. said user assigning a contracted navigation code reference to each of the addresses and points of interest;

d. said user recording a speech pattern of sounds for each of the navigation codes for each of the addresses and points of interest;

e. said GPS navigation device storing in a local database information collected and linking said addresses, points of interest, contracted navigation code reference and speech pattern of sounds in three linked separate databases;

f. said special key being operative, upon being pressed, to thereby set the device in address search mode, whereupon a desired address is retrieved from the stored database and displayed on the monitor when the user types a few characters on the software generated or data entry keyboard or speaks the previously assigned speech pattern of sounds;

g. said user accepting the displayed address by pressing a special key and canceling the address search mode of said GPS navigation device;

h. said GPS navigation system calculating the route to the desired address selected and displaying the route on the display as well as providing voice generated guidance using said internal map database;

i. said GPS navigation system being operative in response to communication of a contracted navigation code that is not present in the local database therewithin to access the Internet and connect to a remote database containing advertised contracted navigation codes and names of specific businesses and the GPS longitude and latitude of the business entered and managed by an owner/administrator of the remote database;

j. the GPS navigation system being further operative to access said remote database providing current GPS longitude and latitude coordinates of the GPS unit in the vehicle;

k. a computer searching through the entire remote database, matching contracted navigation code and computing driving distances based on business GPS coordinates and vehicle GPS coordinates, and creating an ordered list according to driving distances, all entries having driving distance less than a specified driving distance range;

l. the user selecting a particular business location from the list presented and the GPS coordinates of said selected business transferred to the GPS mapping software; and

m. said remote database being maintained by an operator or other representative of the system;

whereby the user after pressing the special key on the GPS navigator device spends a shorter time, entering a few navigation code characters or speaking the previously assigned speech pattern, when retrieving the destination address, thereby avoiding distractions from vehicular driving duties, increasing the margin of safety for the driver, passengers and others in the vicinity of the vehicle.

2. The GPS Navigation Code System as recited by claim 1, wherein said operator or other representative of the system provides said system with generic or contracted navigation codes and names of the businesses/persons.

3. The GPS Navigation Code System as recited by claim 2, wherein companies and third parties pay a fee to contract for service provided by the operator or other representative of the system.

4. The GPS Navigation Code System as recited by claim 3, wherein said service provided by said operator or other representative of the system comprises a marketing tool for the businesses with which the system contracts.

5. The GPS Navigation Code System as recited by claim 4, wherein said service provided by said operator or other representative of the system comprises a useful networking mechanism for non-commercial parties with whom the system contracts.

6. The Navigation Code System as recited by claim 1 wherein the operator or other representative of the remote database can create, store and track assigned navigation codes which correlate with corresponding name, address and GPS coordinate data to avoid duplicity, allow accessibility via the internet to the GPS Navigation Code System, identify the location of the GPS device in the vehicle and using the spoken or entered GPS Navigation Code, search for corresponding business addresses and their coordinates within a search radius and deliver results based on the location of the GPS device.

7. The GPS Navigation Code System as recited by claim 1, wherein said address is retrieved by either entering keystrokes of navigation codes or by speaking a speech pattern of sounds after activating address search mode by pressing said special key.

8. The GPS Navigation Code System as recited by claim 1, wherein the navigation code is a few keystrokes.

9. The GPS Navigation Code System as recited by claim 1, wherein the addresses and navigation codes are pre-programmed by the user prior to driving in an automobile.

10. The GPS Navigation Code System as recited by claim 1, wherein the addresses, navigation codes and voice recording may be individually changed and reassigned or entirely erased and reprogrammed prior to driving on a trip.

11. The GPS Navigation Code System as recited by claim 1, wherein said special key is an easily accessible press button.

12. The GPS Navigation Code System as recited by claim 1, wherein said advertised contracted navigation codes and names of specific businesses are stored in local database for future use.

13. The GPS Navigation Code System as recited by claim 12, wherein the user is prompted to speak the contracted navigation code of a specific business stored in the local database for future voice recognition.

14. The GPS Navigation Code System as recited by claim 8, wherein said navigation code comprises at least 2 keystrokes.

15. The GPS Navigation Code System as recited by claim 8, wherein said navigation code comprises from 2 to 10 keystrokes.

16. The GPS Navigation Code System as recited by claim 8, wherein said navigation code comprises from 4 to 8 keystrokes.

17. The GPS Navigation Code System as recited by claim 8, wherein said navigation code comprises from 5 to 7 keystrokes.

18. The GPS Navigation Code System as recited by claim 1, wherein the GPS navigation device is a smart cell phone with Internet connectivity.

19. The GPS Navigation Code System as recited by claim 1, wherein the GPS navigation device is a personal data assistant (PDA) with Internet connectivity.

20. A GPS Navigation Code System comprising:

a. a GPS navigation device having no Internet connectivity, a local database, an internal map database, display monitor, memory, processor, software generated or hardware data entry keyboard, sound input, sound output and a special key for activating address search;

b. said GPS navigation device being programmed by a user through a software generated or hardware data entry keyboard to record various addresses and points of interest;

c. said user assigning a contracted navigation code reference to each of the addresses and points of interest;

d. said user recording a speech pattern of sounds for each of the navigation codes for each of the addresses and points of interest;

e. said GPS navigation device storing in a local database information collected and linking said addresses, points of interest, contracted navigation code reference and speech pattern of sounds in three linked separate databases;

f. said user, prior to a travel departure connecting the GPS unit to a computer that has Internet connectivity and accessing a remote database after meeting sign in requirements, searching business or residential addresses along a travel path, downloading premium navigation codes and GPS latitude and longitude data along with name of business or residence, and address data from said remote database, and appending downloaded data to local database, using computer resident software;

g. said special key being operative, upon being pressed, to thereby set the device in address search mode, whereupon a desired address is retrieved from the stored database and displayed on the monitor when the user types a few characters on the software generated or data entry keyboard or speaks the previously assigned speech pattern of sounds;

h. said user accepting the displayed address by pressing said special key and canceling the address search mode of said GPS navigation device;

i. said GPS navigation system calculating a route to the desired address selected and displaying the route on the display as well as providing voice generated guidance using said internal map database; and

j. said remote database being maintained by an operator or other representative of the system;

whereby the user after pressing the special key on the GPS navigator device spends a shorter time, entering a few navigation code characters or speaking the previously assigned speech pattern, when retrieving the destination address, thereby avoiding distractions from vehicular driving duties, increasing the margin of safety for the driver, passengers and others in the vicinity of the vehicle.

21. The GPS Navigation Code System as recited by claim 20, wherein said address is retrieved by either entering keystrokes of navigation codes or by speaking a speech pattern of sounds after activating address search mode by pressing said special key.

22. The GPS Navigation Code System as recited by claim 20, wherein the navigation code is a few keystrokes.

23. The GPS Navigation Code System as recited by claim 20, wherein the addresses and navigation codes are pre-programmed by the user or downloaded for a selected region from the remote database using a computer prior to driving in an automobile.

24. The GPS Navigation Code System as recited by claim 20, wherein said special key is an easily accessible press button.

25. The GPS Navigation Code System as recited by claim 20, wherein the user is prompted to speak the contracted navigation code of a specific business downloaded from the remote database and stored in the local database for future voice recognition.

26. The GPS Navigation Code System as recited by claim 20, wherein said navigation code comprises at least 2 keystrokes.

27. The GPS Navigation Code System as recited by claim 20, wherein said navigation code comprises from 2 to 10 keystrokes.

28. The GPS Navigation Code System as recited by claim 20, wherein the GPS navigation device is a smart cell phone with no Internet connectivity.

29. The GPS Navigation Code System as recited by claim 20, wherein the GPS navigation device is a personal data assistant (PDA) with no Internet connectivity.

30. The GPS Navigation Code System as recited by claim 20,

wherein said operator or other representative of the system provides said system with generic or contracted navigation codes and names of businesses/persons.

31. The GPS Navigation Code System as recited by claim 30, wherein companies and third parties pay a fee to contract for service provided by the operator or other representative of the system.

32. The GPS Navigation Code System as recited by claim 31, wherein said service provided by said operator or other representative of the system comprises a marketing tool for the businesses with which the system contracts.

33. The GPS Navigation Code System as recited by claim 32, wherein said service provided by said operator or other representative of the system comprises a useful networking mechanism for non-commercial parties with whom the system contracts.