Location based entertainment with a personal navigation device

• US 8,600,667 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2010
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MiTAC International Corporation (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: MiTAC International Corporation (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Ranford, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): HOLLOWAY, JASON R
• Application Number:
  US12/909,852
• Publication Number:
  US 20120101724A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 701/411, 701/424, 701/427, 701/430, 701/438, 701/439, 701/448, 701/454, 701/457, 701/541, 340/905, 340/995.14, 340/995.17, 340/995.24
• US Class Current: 701/439
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications

Abstract

A method of providing location based entertainment with a personal navigation device includes determining if a user wishes to start an entertainment program on the personal navigation device that provides localized entertainment and starting the entertainment program using content about a current location of the personal navigation device in response to the user wishing to start the entertainment program.

Claims

1. A method of providing location based entertainment with a personal navigation device, the method comprising:

determining, with a processor of the personal navigation device, if a user wishes to start an entertainment program on the personal navigation device that provides localized entertainment, wherein determining if the user wishes to start the entertainment program comprises;

detecting, with the processor a likelihood of boredom by calculating statistics regarding recent movements that the personal navigation device has experienced, by calculating an amount of recent user interface activity, by calculating recent voice activity of the user, or by calculating a current time; and

prompting the user to start the entertainment program when the likelihood of boredom is greater than a predetermined level; and

starting, with the processor, the entertainment program using content about a current location of the personal navigation device in response to the user wishing to start the entertainment program.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the entertainment program prompts the user to select a type of content used in the localized entertainment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the type of content used in the localized entertainment comprises true and false questions about facts pertaining to the current location of the personal navigation device, the user indicating an answer to each question through a voice reply or through a command through a user interface of the personal navigation device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the type of content used in the localized entertainment comprises multiple choice questions about facts pertaining to the current location of the personal navigation device, the user indicating an answer to each question through a voice reply or through a command through a user interface of the personal navigation device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the type of content used in the localized entertainment comprises short answer questions which require the user to say an answer, the short answer questions asking the user about facts pertaining to the current location of the personal navigation device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the type of content used in the localized entertainment comprises announcing facts and trivia about the current location of the personal navigation device to the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the entertainment program is executed in driver mode or passenger mode, each mode having adjustable settings for presenting the questions in speech form or in text form and for accepting answers as a touch response or a spoken response.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the personal navigation device comprises a text to speech (TTS) circuit for converting questions stored in text form into speech.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the personal navigation device comprises speech recognition software for recognizing spoken responses given by the user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein content about the current location of the personal navigation device is downloaded to a memory of the personal navigation device as the personal navigation device when the personal navigation device enters a new area.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein content about the current location of the personal navigation device is stored in a memory of the personal navigation device in advance and retrieved as the personal navigation device enters the current location.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the likelihood of boredom is calculated according to recent acceleration patterns of a vehicle that the personal navigation device is located in.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the likelihood of boredom is calculated according to a distance travelled or a period of time that the personal navigation device has been in transit.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the likelihood of boredom is calculated according to a distance travelled or a period of time that the personal navigation device has been in transit without a predetermined change in acceleration of a vehicle that the personal navigation device is located in.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the likelihood of boredom is calculated according to a current time of day.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the likelihood of boredom is calculated according to a period of time elapsed since a most recent stop lasting more than a predetermined time period.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the likelihood of boredom is calculated according to a level of voice activity detected by a microphone of the personal navigation device.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the likelihood of boredom is calculated according to a level of activity from the user with a user interface of the personal navigation device.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the likelihood of boredom is calculated according to a level of activity from the user in response to prompts issued by a user interface of the personal navigation device.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining if the personal navigation device is scheduled to output any navigation instructions or driving information to the user within a following predetermined period of time; and

proceeding to determine if the user wishes to start the entertainment program only when no navigation instructions or driving information is scheduled to be output to the user within the following predetermined period of time.