Method and apparatus for road guidance using mobile terminal

• US 8,718,924 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2010
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Yoon, Yee Eun, Kim, Yu Ran, Wang, Jee Yeun, Jung, Min Hwa, Kim, Hee Won
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lewandroski, Sara
• Application Number:
  US12/652,461
• Publication Number:
  US 20100174483A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,582 Days
• Field of Search: 701/400, 701/409, 701/412, 701/418, 701/425, 701/426, 701/430, 701/446, 701/447, 701/469, 701/532, 701/208
• US Class Current: 701/409
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3614 through interaction with a road map, e.g. selecting a POI icon on a road map
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/003 Maps
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

The present invention relates to apparatus and method for road guidance using a mobile terminal. The method for road guidance using a mobile terminal includes receiving a map image created by a users input, setting at least one user-designated location to the map image according to the users input, setting location information of the user-designated location to the user-designated location, comparing the location information of the user-designated location with current location information of the mobile terminal; and notifying of arrival at the user-designated location. A user may arrive at a desired destination according to the present invention without using map data provided by a map data service provider.

Claims

1. A method for providing location information of a terminal, comprising:

receiving, via a user input, an input comprising a map image and a selection of a designated location;

displaying the map image;

setting the designated location to the map image according to the selection of the designated location;

setting location information selected via input of a search query to the designated location set to the map image, the location information comprising actual geographic location information received in response to the input of the search query;

determining whether a current location of the terminal and the location information are identical; and

providing an alert in response to arriving at the designated location in response to determining that the current location of the terminal and the location information are identical.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the current location of the terminal and the location information are identical comprises:

receiving the current location of the terminal;

comparing the current location of the terminal with the location information; and

determining whether the current location is within a threshold range of the location information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated location comprises a destination location and an intermediate location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein setting the location information to the designated location comprises:

displaying a location information search window for the designated location;

extracting, in response to receiving an input search word in the location information search window, location information corresponding to the input search word; and

setting the extracted location information to the designated location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein setting the location information to the designated location comprises:

receiving current location information of the terminal; and

setting the received current location of the terminal to the designated location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, if the designated location comprises at least a first designated location and a second designated location, setting the location information to the designated location further comprises:

calculating a distance between the first designated location and the second designated location based on location information set to the first designated location and the second designated location;

displaying, in response to determining that the distance between the first designated location and the second designated location is greater than a threshold distance, at least one intermediate location on the map image; and

setting the location information to the at least one intermediate location.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein providing the alert in response to arriving at the designated location comprises:

displaying, in response to determining that the current location of the terminal is within a threshold range of the intermediate location, an intermediate destination arrival notice image on the intermediate location of the map image, and receiving current location of the terminal; and

displaying, in response to determining that the current location of the mobile terminal is within a threshold range of the destination location, a destination arrival notice image on the destination location of the map image.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the alert in response to arriving at the designated location comprises outputting a sound and a vibration.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein setting the location information to the designated location comprises:

displaying a location information search window for the designated location;

searching for, in response to receiving an input search word, location information corresponding to the input search word;

receiving, in response to determining that the location information corresponding to the input search word is not stored, current location of the terminal; and

setting the received current location of the terminal to the designated location.

10. A terminal for providing location information, comprising:

a Global Positioning System (GPS) module to receive a Global Positioning System (GPS) signal to set current location data;

an input unit to receive an input comprising a map image and a selection of a designated location;

a display unit to display the map image and a designated location data according to the input;

a controller to set location data selected via input of a search query to the designated location data set to the map image and to create the map image comprising the designated location data, the location data comprising actual geographic location information received in response to the input of the search query; and

a storage unit to store the map image.

11. The terminal of claim 10,

wherein the controller is configured to control the Global Positioning System (GPS) module to receive the current location data, to compare the received current location data with the set location data of the designated location data, to control the display unit to display a destination arrival notice image on the designated location of the map image in response to determining that the current location is within a threshold range of the designated location.

12. The terminal of claim 10, wherein the storage unit stores a location data list comprising location information.

13. The terminal of claim 10, wherein the controller sets the location data to the designated location using the current location data received from the Global Positioning System (GPS) module.

14. The terminal of claim 12, wherein the controller sets the location data to the designated location using the location data list stored in the storage unit.

15. The terminal of claim 12, wherein, if the designated data comprises at least a first designated location and a second designated location, the controller calculates a distance between the first designated location and the second designated location, and, in response to determining that the distance is greater than a threshold distance, controls the display unit to display at least one intermediate location on the map image, and to set location data to the displayed intermediate location.

16. An apparatus for providing location information, comprising:

a processor configured to detect a map image triggering event based on an input, wherein the processor is further configured to generate location data of a designated location, the location data being selected via input of a search query, being set to a map image in response to detection of the map image triggering event, and comprising actual geographic location information received in response to the input of the search query; and

a mapping table, coupled to the processor, configured to determine whether a current location data and the location data of the designated location are identical, and

wherein an arrival notice is caused to be provided by the processor in response to the current location data being the same as the location data of the designated location,

wherein the map image triggering event comprises a request to provide an interface to create a map.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the current location data is based on data transmitted from the Global Positioning System (GPS).

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the designated location comprises a destination location and an intermediate location.