GPS location and favorite prediction based on in-vehicle meta-data

• US 8,635,020 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2009
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: DELUCA, LISA SEACAT, Hannah, Clive
• Primary Examiner(s): Garg, Yogesh C
• Application Number:
  US12/359,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20100191466A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,824 Days
• Field of Search: 701/533, 701/532, 701/537, 701/425, 701/431, 701/433, 701/468, 701/469, 340/995.13, 340/995.19, 340/995.1, 340/539.22, 715/835, 715/853
• US Class Current: 701/431
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for automatically entering favorite locations into a navigation system is provided. The method according to one embodiment includes receiving information regarding a location from an object within a vehicle using a navigation system. An identifier to the information and the information and identifier are stored in the navigation system. The user may retrieve the information from the navigation system using the identifier. The information from the objects may be received in various wireless formats, including RFID, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

under control of a Global Positioning Systems (GPS)-based navigation system inside a vehicle, performing;

scanning to identify objects that can communicate electronically to said GPS-based navigation system and that each have an associated location and an identifier for that location;

receiving information regarding said location and said identifier associated with said location from each of said objects;

storing said information and said identifier in said GPS-based navigation system; and

retrieving said information from said GPS-based navigation system using said identifier to enable selection of said location for obtaining directions to said selected location.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said receiving comprises receiving said information wirelessly from said objects.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein said receiving comprises transmitting a signal to said objects and receiving said information in response to said transmitting.

4. A method according to claim 2 wherein said receiving comprises receiving a signal from an RFID tag.

5. A method according to claim 2 wherein said receiving comprises receiving a signal from a Bluetooth device.

6. A method according to claim 2 said receiving comprises receiving a signal from a cellular telephone.

7. A method according to claim 2 wherein said receiving comprises receiving a signal from a Wi-Fi device.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein said identifier is a point of interest.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein one of said objects is an employee badge.

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein one of said objects is a car key.

11. A computer program product comprising:

a tangible computer usable medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, said computer usable program code, when executed by a processor of a Global Positioning Systems (GPS)-based navigation system inside a vehicle, is

configured to;

scan to identify objects that can communicate electronically to said GPS-based navigation system and that each have an associated location and an identifier for that location;

receive information regarding said location and said identifier associated with said location from each of said objects;

store said information and said identifier in said GPS-based navigation system; and

retrieve said information from said GPS-based navigation system using said identifier to enable selection of said location for obtaining directions to said selected location.

12. A computer program product according to claim 11 wherein said computer usable program code, when executed by said processor of said GPS-based navigation system inside said vehicle, is configured to:

receive said information wirelessly from said object.

13. A computer program product according to claim 12 wherein said computer usable program code, when executed by said processor of said GPS-based navigation system inside said vehicle, is configured to:

receive a signal from an RFID tag.

14. A computer program product according to claim 12 wherein said computer usable program code, when executed by said processor of said GPS-based navigation system inside said vehicle, is configured to:

transmit a signal to said objects; and

receive said information in response to said transmitting.

15. A computer program product according to claim 12 wherein said computer usable program code, when executed by said processor of said GPS-based navigation system inside said vehicle, is configured to:

receive a signal from a Bluetooth device.

16. A computer program product according to claim 12 wherein said computer usable program code, when executed by said processor of said GPS-based navigation system inside said vehicle, is configured to:

receive a signal from a cellular telephone.

17. A computer program product according to claim 12 wherein said computer usable program code, when executed by said processor of said GPS-based navigation system inside said vehicle, is configured to:

receive a signal from a Wi-Fi device.

18. A computer program product according to claim 11 wherein said computer usable program code, when executed by said processor of said GPS-based navigation system inside said vehicle, is configured to:

receive a signal from a hotel room key.

19. A Global Positioning Systems (GPS)-based navigation system inside a vehicle, comprising:

a processor; and

storage coupled to the processor, wherein the storage stores computer program instructions, and wherein the processor executes the computer program instructions to perform operations, wherein the operations comprise;

scanning to identify objects that can communicate electronically to said GPS-based navigation system and that each have an associated location and an identifier for that location;

receiving information regarding said location and said identifier associated with said location from each of said objects;

storing said information and said identifier in said GPS-based navigation system; and

retrieving said information from said GPS-based navigation system using said identifier to enable selection of said location for obtaining directions to said selected location.

20. A GPS-based navigation system inside said vehicle according to claim 19 wherein said operations further comprise receiving said information wirelessly from said objects.

21. A GPS-based navigation system inside said vehicle according to claim 20 wherein said operations further comprise:

transmitting a signal to said objects; and

receiving said information in response to said transmitting.

22. A GPS-based navigation system inside said vehicle according to claim 20 wherein said operations further comprise:

receiving a signal from an RFID tag.

23. A GPS-based navigation system inside said vehicle according to claim 20 wherein said operations further comprise:

receiving a signal from a Bluetooth device.

24. A GPS-based navigation system inside said vehicle according to claim 20 wherein said operations further comprise:

receiving a signal from a cellular telephone.

25. A GPS-based navigation system inside said vehicle according to claim 20 wherein said operations further comprise:

receiving a signal from a Wi-Fi device.