Mobile geographic information system and method

• US 8,538,676 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IPOINTER, INC.
• Original Assignee: IPOINTER, INC.
• Inventors: Wuersch, Markus, Caduff, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): MUSTAFA, IMRAN K
• Application Number:
  US11/479,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20080162032A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,636 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/201, 701/206, 701/207, 701/213, 701/400, 701/408, 701/426, 701/438
• US Class Current: 701/400
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator

Abstract

The present invention includes a mobile geographic information system and method. The method includes the steps of inputting data representing a user position, defining a first circularly spatially extended point (CSEP) about the user in response to the user position data, defining a first waypoint associated with a geographic feature, defining a second CSEP about the first waypoint, and providing a qualitative user position relative to the geographic feature in response to a predetermined topological relationship between the first CSEP and the second CSEP. The mobile geographic information system includes a database containing geographic information including information related to a geographic feature and information relating to a first waypoint associated with the geographic feature and a mobile device in communication with the database, wherein the mobile device includes a controller and a position sensor for determining a user position associated with the mobile device.

Claims

1. A mobile geographic information system comprising:

a database containing geographic information including information related to at least one geographic feature and information relating to at least a first waypoint associated with the at least one geographic feature for traveling from a user position to a predetermined geographic location;

a mobile device for communicating with the database;

a controller integrated with the mobile device for communicating through the mobile device with the database and a position sensor for determining the user position associated with the mobile device, with the controller receiving information from the position sensor to indicate the user position and the controller determining a first circularly spatially extended point (CSEP) about the user position, the controller further determining a second CSEP about the at least first waypoint with a two dimensional size of the second CSEP being determined based on whether the at least first waypoint is fixed or mobile and the instructing a user as to a qualitative relative position of the mobile device and the at least one geographic feature in response to a predetermined topological relationship between the first CSEP about the user position and the second CSEP about the at least first waypoint to provide refined instructions for the user to proceed to the predetermined geographic location, with the qualitative relative position between the user position (A) and the at least first waypoint (B) being determined in response to a topological relationship selected from the group consisting of at least four (4) of the following topological relationships;

a disjointing of A and B, a meeting of A and B, an overlap of A and B, a covering by A of B, a covering by B of A, a containment by A of B, a containment by B of A, or an equality between A and B, and changing the refined instructions with a changing of the qualitative relative position between the user position (A) and the first waypoint (B).

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the mobile device includes an orientation sensor to define a user orientation.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the database further includes a navigable route related to the at least one geographic feature, the navigable route defined in part by the first waypoint and a second waypoint.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the second waypoint comprises a third CSEP.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the controller is further adapted to instruct the user along the navigable route in response to the user orientation and a topological relationship between the user position and the second waypoint.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the topological relationship between the user position and the second waypoint includes a topological relationship between a first CSEP and the third CSEP.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the mobile device includes the database.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein qualitative instructions to the user include at least one of the instructions distal, close, closer, or arrival.

9. A computer-implemented method for providing geographic information comprising:

inputting data representing a user position and determining a first circularly spatially extended point (CSEP) about the user position in response to the user position data;

determining at least a first waypoint associated with at least one geographic feature for traveling from a user position to a predetermined geographic location and determining a second CSEP about the at least first waypoint with a two dimensional size of the CSEP being determined based on whether the at least first waypoint is fixed or mobile; and

generating a qualitative user position and refined instructions for a user to proceed to the predetermined geographic location relative to the at least one geographic feature in response to a topological relationship between the first CSEP (A) and the second CSEP (B), with the qualitative user position and refined instructions relative to the at least one geographic feature being determined in reference to the topological relationship selected from the group consisting of at least four (4) of the following topological relationships;

including at least a disjointing of A and B, a meeting of A and B, an overlap of A and B, a covering by A of B, a covering by B of A, a containment by A of B, a containment by B of A, or an equality between A and B, with the refined instructions changing with a changing of the qualitative relative position between the first CSEP (A) and the second CSEP (B).

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising a step of inputting data regarding a user orientation.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of determining a second waypoint associated with a navigable route.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising a step of determining a third CSEP about the second waypoint.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising a step of instructing the user along the navigable route in response to a user orientation and a topological relationship between the use position and the second waypoint.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the topological relationship between the user position and the second waypoint includes a topological relationship between the first CSEP and the third CSEP.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of inputting data representing a user position includes a step of receiving data regarding a position of a mobile device.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of receiving data regarding a position of a mobile device includes a step of receiving data from a global positioning system.

17. The method of claim 9 wherein the method further includes a step of generating qualitative instructions for that include at least one of the instructions distal, close, closer, or arrival.