Methods of wirelessly adding navigational content to a personal navigation device

• US 8,478,528 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2009
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MiTAC International Corporation (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: MiTAC International Corporation (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Morley, Simon Dean
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khatib, Rami
• Application Number:
  US12/612,684
• Publication Number:
  US 20110106438A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,335 Days
• Field of Search: 701/400, 701/408, 701/418, 701/425, 701/430, 701/484, 701/485, 701/487, 701/522, 701/526, 701/537, 701/538, 340988-996
• US Class Current: 701/537
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence

Abstract

A method of wirelessly adding navigational content to a personal navigation device includes changing a mode of the personal navigation device to pairing standby mode, adding navigational content to a computing device, and establishing a direct wireless connection between the personal navigation device and the computing device to add navigational content to the personal navigation device from the computing device when the personal navigation device and the computing device are within range of each other for establishing a wireless connection.

Claims

1. A method of wirelessly adding navigational content to a personal navigation device, the method comprising:

adding navigational content to a computing device;

changing a mode of the personal navigation device to pairing standby mode, comprising the personal navigation device automatically detecting that the personal navigation device is positioned at a location where adding navigational content has been previously performed by a user of the personal navigation device and the personal navigation device automatically detecting that the personal navigation device is positioned at a location which has been authorized by the user of the personal navigation device for adding navigational content, and automatically changing the mode of the personal navigation device to pairing standby mode when the personal navigation device is located at the authorized location or the location where adding navigational content has been previously performed; and

establishing a direct wireless connection between the personal navigation device and the computing device to add the navigational content to the personal navigation device from the computing device when the personal navigation device and the computing device are within range of each other for establishing a wireless connection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein changing the mode of the personal navigation device to pairing standby mode comprises the user of the personal navigation device manually switching the personal navigation device to pairing standby mode.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the direct wireless connection is established according to high powered Bluetooth specifications or wireless local area network (WLAN) specifications.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the personal navigation device automatically turns itself off after the personal navigation device and the computing device have completed transferring navigational content.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a computer, a mobile phone, or a personal digital assistant (PDA) having wireless network connection capability.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the navigational content of the computing device is selected by the user or stored in a specific part of a memory of the computing device ahead of time for later transfer to the personal navigation device when direct wireless connection between the personal navigation device and the computing device has been established.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising transferring navigational content from the personal navigation device to the computing device when the personal navigation device and the computing device have established a wireless connection.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the direct wireless connection between the personal navigation device and the computing device is initiated by the computing device while the personal navigation device is in the pairing standby mode.

9. A method of wirelessly adding navigational content to a personal navigation device, the method comprising:

adding navigational content to a computing device;

uploading the navigational content from the computing device to an internet server through an internet connection of the computing device and storing the navigational content on the internet server;

changing a mode of the personal navigation device to pairing mode, comprising the personal navigation device automatically detecting that the personal navigation device is positioned at a location where adding navigational content has been previously performed by a user of the personal navigation device and the personal navigation device automatically detecting that the personal navigation device is positioned at a location which has been authorized by the user of the personal navigation device for adding navigational content, and automatically changing the mode of the personal navigation device to pairing mode when the personal navigation device is located at the authorized location or the location where adding navigational content has been previously performed; and

establishing a wireless internet connection for connecting the personal navigation device to the internet for downloading the navigational content from the internet server to the personal navigation device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein changing the mode of the personal navigation device to pairing mode comprises the user of the personal navigation device manually switching the personal navigation device to pairing mode.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein changing the mode of the personal navigation device to pairing mode comprises:

recording an update location where the personal navigation device was located when navigational content was added to the personal navigation device;

detecting when the personal navigation device is located at the update location; and

automatically changing the mode of the personal navigation device to pairing mode when the personal navigation device is located at the update location.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein changing the mode of the personal navigation device to pairing mode automatically occurs when the personal navigation device is located within a predetermined radius of an update location where the navigational content was previously added to the personal navigation device and when the personal navigation device detects that the personal navigation device is moving away from the update location.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein changing the mode of the personal navigation device to pairing mode comprises:

detecting an internet connection available to the personal navigation device; and

automatically changing the mode of the personal navigation device to pairing mode when the personal navigation device detects the available internet connection.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the wireless internet connection is established according to General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) specifications or wireless local area network (WLAN) specifications having wireless network connection capability.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the personal navigation device automatically turns itself off after the personal navigation device and the computing device have completed transferring navigational content.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the computing device is a computer, a mobile phone, or a personal digital assistant (PDA).

17. The method of claim 9 further comprising transferring navigational content from the personal navigation device to the internet server when the personal navigation device has established a wireless internet connection to the internet.