Providing routing to a mobile terminal

• US 8,670,781 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2010
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Nam-Young, Shin, Jong-Gu
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelin, Jean
• Application Number:
  US12/753,261
• Publication Number:
  US 20110053552A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,439 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/566, 701/200, 701/213, 701/421, 701/426, 701/467, 701/533, 340/990, 340/995.19, 340/995.24
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3438 Rendez-vous, i.e. searching a destination where several users can meet, and the routes to this destination for these users; Ride sharing, i.e. searching a route such that at least two users can share a vehicle for at least part of the route
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching

Abstract

A selection associated with a service provider is received at a user device, the service provider being associated with a first location. A second location that is associated with the user is determined at the user device. A service request and the determined second location associated with the user are sent from the user device and to a destination associated with the service provider. A route between the first and second locations to be used by the service provider is received from the service provider. A map including the route between the first and second locations to be used by the service provider is rendered on the user device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying, on a user device, information associated with multiple service providers in a predetermined order;

after displaying the information associated with the multiple service providers, receiving, at the user device, a selection associated with a first service provider of the multiple service providers, the first service provider being associated with a first location;

determining, at the user device, a second location, the second location being associated with the user;

sending, from the user device to the first service provider, a of the user, a service request and the determined second location associated with the user;

receiving, from the first service provider, information, to be used by the first service provider, regarding an association between the first and second locations;

matching the information regarding the association between the first and second locations with a map on the user device; and

rendering, on the user device, the map matched with the information regarding the association between the first and second locations,

wherein;

the information regarding the association between the first and second locations is a route between the first and second locations to be used by the first service provider, and

matching the information regarding the association between the first and second locations with a map stored on the user device comprises matching the route between the first and second locations to be used by the first service provider with a map stored on the user device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the selection associated with the first service provider includes receiving a request for a taxi.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein rendering the map matched with the information regarding the association between the first and second locations includes rendering a map indicating a path to be traversed by a taxi from the first location to the second location.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising receiving, from the first service provider, an indication corresponding to a taxi fare.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

displaying the information associated with the multiple service providers includes rendering, on the user device, a list of multiple taxi service providers,

receiving the selection associated with the service provider includes receiving a selection of a particular taxi service provider from the rendered list of multiple taxi service providers.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the information, to be used by the first service provider, regarding the association between the first and second locations includes receiving a designation of a current location of a taxi and a route the taxi is expected to take from the current location of the taxi to the user device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the second location associated with the user includes determining the location of the user device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the second location associated with the user includes determining a location other than the location of the user device.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising receiving, at the user device, input designating a location as the second location.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the information, to be used by the first service provider, regarding the association between the first and second locations includes receiving a route computed by the first service provider.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the selection associated with the first service provider includes receiving a request for an emergency responder.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein receiving the request for an emergency responder includes receiving a request for an ambulance.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the selection associated with the first service provider includes receiving a request for a substitute driver.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the selection associated with the first service provider includes receiving a request for a door-to-door delivery.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the information associated with the multiple service providers includes displaying, on the user device, information associated with multiple taxi companies in an order of star rating.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the information associated with the multiple service providers includes displaying, on the user device, information of a taxi company having a highest star rating.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the information associated with the multiple service providers includes displaying, on the user device, taxi information corresponding to a lowest expected fare among expected fare information provided by taxi drivers.

18. A mobile terminal comprising:

an input unit configured to receive input from a user;

a communication unit configured to communicate across a wireless network;

a display; and

a controller configured to;

display, on the display, information associated with multiple service providers in a predetermined order;

after displaying the information associated with the multiple service providers, receive, from the input unit, an indication of a user selection associated with a first service provider of the multiple service providers, the first service provider being associated with a first location,

determine a second location, the second location being associated with the user,

send, with the communication unit and to the first service provider, a destination of the user, a service request and the determined second location associated with the user,

receive, from the first service provider and with the communication unit, information, to be used by the first service provider, regarding an association between the first and second locations,

match the information regarding the association between the first and second locations with a map on the user device; and

render, on the display, the map matched with the information regarding the association between the first and second locations,

wherein;

the information regarding the association between the first and second locations is a route between the first and second locations to be used by the first service provider, and

the controller is configured to match the information regarding the association between the first and second locations with a map stored on the user device by matching the route between the first and second locations to be used by the first service provider with a map stored on the user device.

19. The terminal of claim 18 wherein, to receive the selection associated with the first service provider, the controller is configured to receive a request for a taxi.

20. The terminal of claim 19 wherein the controller is configured to:

receive, from the first service provider and with the communication unit, an indication corresponding to a taxi fare; and

enable rendering, on the display, of the indication corresponding to the taxi fare.

21. The terminal of claim 18 wherein:

to display the information associated with the multiple service providers the controller is configured to enable rendering, on the display, of a list of multiple taxi service providers; and

to receive the selection associated with the service provider, the controller is configured to receive a selection of a particular taxi service provider from the rendered list of multiple taxi service providers.

22. The terminal of claim 18 wherein, to receive the information regarding the association between the first and second locations, the controller is configured to receive, with the communication unit, a designation of a current location of a taxi and a route the taxi is expected to take from the current location of the taxi to the mobile terminal.

23. The terminal of claim 18 further comprising a global positioning system unit, wherein to determine the second location associated with the user, the controller is configured to determine, with the global positioning unit, the location of the mobile terminal.

24. The terminal of claim 18 wherein to determine the second location associated with the user, the controller is configured to receiver, from the input unit, input designating a location as the second location.

25. The terminal of claim 18 wherein, to receive the selection associated with the first service provider, the controller is configured to receive a request for an emergency responder.

26. The terminal of claim 18 wherein, to receive the selection associated with the first service provider, the controller is configured to receive a request for an ambulance.

27. The terminal of claim 18 wherein, to receive the selection associated with the first service provider, the controller is configured to receive a request for a substitute driver.

28. The terminal of claim 18 wherein, to receive the selection associated with the first service provider, the controller is configured to receive a request for a door-to-door delivery.

29. The terminal of claim 18, wherein the controller is configured to display, on the display, information associated with multiple taxi companies in an order of star rating.

30. The terminal of claim 18, wherein the controller is configured to display, on the display, information of a taxi company having a highest star rating.

31. The terminal of claim 18, wherein the controller is configured to display, on the display, taxi information corresponding to a lowest expected fare among expected fare information provided by taxi drivers.