Communicating based on navigation destination

• US 8,478,307 B1
• Filed: 06/15/2012
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Hayes, Barry
• Primary Examiner(s): Siddiqui, Kashif
• Application Number:
  US13/525,023
• Time in Patent Office: 382 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-457, 4554141-4142, 701400-443, 701/532, 701/533
• US Class Current: 455/456.6
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

In general, this disclosure describes techniques for providing a user of a source computing device with the ability to communicate with a destination communication device, while using a navigation application that provides directions to a geographical location associated with the destination communication device. Specifically, the source computing device may provide within the navigation application a mechanism, such as a selectable item, that upon selection allows the user to communicate with the destination communication device without exiting the navigation application that is providing directions to the geographical locations associated with the destination communication device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

outputting by a computing device for display at a display device, navigational directions from a first geographical location associated with the computing device to a second geographical location, wherein the second geographical location is associated with at least one communication device;

determining, by the computing device, contact information associated with the at least one communication device;

providing, by the computing device, a functionality associated with the contact information;

responsive to receiving a user action activating the functionality, initiating communications from the computing device to the at least one communication device, based on the contact information, while the navigational directions are outputted by the computing device for display at the display device; and

continuously outputting, by the computing device for display at the display device, the navigational directions as the computing device initiates communication and communicates with the at least one communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the functionality further comprises:

outputting, by the computing device for display at the display device, at least one user-selectable link associated with the contact information, wherein the link is provided for display in conjunction with the navigational directions.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein responsive to receiving the user action activating the functionality, initiating communication further comprises:

responsive to receiving the user selection of the at least one link, initiating communication from the computing device to the at least one communication device, based on the contact information, while the navigational directions are outputted by the computing device for display at the display device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user action activating the functionality comprises voice input from the user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the contact information associated with the communication device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the contact information comprises receiving, by the computing device, user input, wherein the user input comprises the contact information.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the contact information comprises retrieving the contact information from a list of contacts stored in the computing device.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the contact information comprises retrieving the contact information from an online source via the Internet.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving, by the computing device, the contact information from the communication device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact information comprises multiple contact items, wherein each of the multiple contact items comprises corresponding contact information.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

outputting, by the computing device for display at the display device, multiple user-selectable links, wherein each of the multiple user-selectable links is associated with each of the multiple contact items, and wherein the multiple links are outputted by the computing device for display at the display device in conjunction with the navigational directions; and

responsive to receiving a user selection of one of the multiple links, initiating communication from the computing device to the at least one communication device, based on the contact information associated with the corresponding item from the multiple contact items, while the navigational directions are outputted by the computing device for display at the display device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating communication comprises placing a voice-based communication from the first computing device to the communication device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating communication comprises sending a text-based communication from the computing device to the communication device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein sending the text-based communication further comprises:

sending a pre-set message from the computing device to the communication device.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises a mobile phone.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication device comprises a mobile phone.

17. A computing device comprising:

one or more processors;

a module operable by the one or more processors and configured to output for display at a display device navigational directions from a first geographical location associated with the computing device to a second geographical location, wherein the second geographical location is associated with at least one communication device, to determine contact information associated with the at least one communication device, and to provide a functionality associated with the contact information; and

a network interface for initiating communication from the computing device to the at least one communication device, based on the contact information, while the navigational directions are outputted for display at the display device, in response to receiving a user action activating the functionality and for continuously outputting, by the computing device for display at the display device, the navigational directions as the computing device initiates communication and communicates with the at least one communication device.

18. The computing device of claim 17, wherein:

the module operable by the one or more processors and configured to provide a functionality associated with the contact information further comprises a module operable by the one or more processors and configured to output for display at the display device at least one user-selectable link associated with the contact information, wherein the link is outputted for display at the display device in conjunction with the navigational directions; and

receiving the user action activating the functionality further comprises receiving a user selection of the at least one link.

19. The computing device of claim 17, further comprising:

a communication module configured to place, via the network interface, a voice-based communication from the computing device to the at least one communication device.

20. The computing device of claim 17, further comprising:

a communication module configured to send, via the network interface, a pre-set message from the computing device to the at least one communication device.

21. A computer-readable storage device in a computing device, encoded with instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

outputting for display at a display device navigational directions from a first geographical location associated with the computing device to a second geographical location, wherein the second geographical location associated with at least one communication device;

determining contact information associated with the at least one communication device;

providing, by the computing device, a functionality associated with the contact information;

responsive to receiving a user action activating the functionality, initiating communications from the computing device to the at least one communication device, based on the contact information, while the navigational directions are outputted for display at the display device; and

continuously outputting, by the computing device for display at the display device, the navigational directions as the computing device initiates communication and communicates with the at least one communication device.