Method and apparatus for determining relevant point of interest information based upon route of user

• US 8,731,821 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2007
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Sheynblat, Len
• Primary Examiner(s): Amin, Bhavesh V
• Application Number:
  US11/686,890
• Publication Number:
  US 20070219706A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,623 Days
• Field of Search: 701/208, 701/210, 701400-485, 340/995.24
• US Class Current: 701/426
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and systems for determining the relevance of points of interest for a user are described. An application server receives information about a user'"'"'s location, and velocity, as well as other user preferences, and adjusts a search space and filters points of interest identifying those that are relevant to the user. The relevance of the points of interest are based on the user'"'"'s route, location and velocity.

Claims

1. A method for providing aiding information to a user in a system comprising an application server the method comprising:

receiving at the application server a desired destination from a user;

receiving a current location and a velocity of the user;

calculating, via a processor, routing information relating to a route of the user to the desired destination and sending the routing information to the user;

receiving desired point of interest information from the user at the application server;

identifying points of interest to the user and ranking them at the application server according to their relevance to the user'"'"'s current location based on the user'"'"'s route beyond the current location, the user'"'"'s current location, the user'"'"'s velocity, and a relevance time, wherein a size of a geographic area from which the points of interest are identified is determined based at least in part on the user'"'"'s velocity and wherein the relevance time is indicative of an estimated time the point of interest will remain relevant to the user; and

wirelessly sending the identified points of interest from the application server to the user based on the relevance of the points of interest.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the desired destination is received from the user over a wireless communication link.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the current location and velocity of the user comprises receiving navigational information about the location and velocity of the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein ranking the points of interest comprises ranking the points of interest based on the ease of access to the points of interest by the user, parking availability, types of streets or any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein ranking the points of interest comprises ranking the points of interest based on the time of travel to the point of interest by the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein ranking the points of interest comprises ranking the points of interest based on a correlation of a location of each of the points of interest to the route being traveled by the user.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a preference for categories of points of interest from a user.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein information about points of interest associated with the user'"'"'s preference are provided to the user.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising using calendar information received from the user to rank relevant points of interest, the calendar information including information associated with a scheduled meeting, the method further comprising:

determining an estimated time of arrival at a location of the scheduled meeting; and

automatically notifying other attendees of the scheduled meeting if the estimated time of arrival at the location of the scheduled meeting is after a scheduled start time associated with the scheduled meeting.

10. A method for providing aiding information to a user in a system comprising an application server, the method comprising:

receiving at the application server a desired destination from a user;

receiving a current location and a velocity of the user;

calculating, via a processor, routing information relating to a route of the user to the desired destination and sending the routing information from the application server to the user;

receiving a preference for a category of points of interest from the user;

identifying points of interest associated with the user'"'"'s preference and ranking them at the application server according to their relevance to the user'"'"'s current location based on the user'"'"'s route beyond the current location, the user'"'"'s current location, the user'"'"'s velocity and a relevance time, wherein a size of a geographic area from which the points of interest are identified is determined based at least in part on the user'"'"'s velocity and wherein the relevance time is indicative of an estimated time the point of interest will remain relevant to the user; and

wirelessly sending identified points of interest associated with the user'"'"'s preference from the application server to the user based on the relevance of the points of interest.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein ranking the points of interest comprises ranking the points of interest based on the ease of access to the points of interest by the user.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein ranking the points of interest comprises ranking the points of interest based on the time of travel to the point of interest by the user.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein ranking the points of interest comprises ranking the points of interest based on a correlation of a location of each of the points of interest to the route being traveled by the user.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising using calendar information received from the user to rank relevant points of interest, the calendar information including information associated with a scheduled meeting, the method further comprising:

determining an estimated time of arrival at a location of the scheduled meeting; and

automatically notifying other attendees of the scheduled meeting if the estimated time of arrival at the location of the scheduled meeting is after a scheduled start time associated with the scheduled meeting.

15. A method for receiving aiding information for a user of a wireless communication device in a system having at least one application server, the method comprising:

providing a desired destination of the user to the application server;

determine via a mobile device processor and providing navigational information about the user'"'"'s current location and velocity to the application server;

receiving at the wireless communication device routing information relating to a route of the user from the user'"'"'s current location to the desired destination;

wirelessly providing desired point of interest information to the application server; and

wirelessly receiving at the mobile device Processor, from the application server points of interest that are ranked according to their relevance to the user'"'"'s current location based on the user'"'"'s route beyond the current location, the user'"'"'s current location, the user'"'"'s velocity and a relevance time, wherein a size of a geographic area from which the points of interest are identified is based at least in part on the user'"'"'s velocity and wherein the relevance time is indicative of an estimated time the point of interest will remain relevant to the user.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein providing navigational information comprises providing the current location and velocity of the user.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the points of interest are ranked based on the ease of access to the points of interest by the user.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the points of interest are ranked based on the time of travel to the points of interest by the user.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the points of interest are ranked based on a correlation of a location of each of the points of interest to the route being traveled by the user.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing a preference for categories of points of interest from the user to the application server.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing calendar information for the user to the application server where it is used to rank relevant points of interest, the calendar information including information associated with a scheduled meeting, the method further comprising:

receiving from the application server an indication that an estimated time of arrival at a location of the meeting is after a scheduled start time associated with the scheduled meeting; and

receiving a query from the application server asking whether other attendees of the scheduled meeting should be notified of the estimated time of arrival.

22. A method for receiving aiding information for a user of a wireless communication device in a system having at least one application server, the method comprising:

providing a desired destination from the user to the application server;

determine via a mobile device processor and providing navigational information about a current location and a velocity of the user to the application server;

receiving at the wireless communication device routing information relating to a route of the user to the desired destination;

wirelessly providing a user preference for a category of points of interest to the application server; and

wirelessly receiving, at the mobile device processor, from the application server point of interest information associated with the user'"'"'s preference and current location based on the user'"'"'s route beyond the current location, the user'"'"'s current location, the user'"'"'s velocity and a relevance time, wherein a size of a geographic area from which the points of interest are identified is based at least in part on the user'"'"'s velocity and wherein the relevance time is indicative of an estimated time the point of interest will remain relevant to the user.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising using calendar information from the user to determine a relevance of the points of interest, the calendar information including information associated with a scheduled meeting, the method further comprising:

receiving from the application server an indication that an estimated time of arrival at a location of the meeting is after a scheduled start time associated with the scheduled meeting; and

receiving a query from the application server asking whether other attendees of the scheduled meeting should be notified of the estimated time of arrival.

24. A device, comprising:

a wireless receiver module that receives a desired destination, a current location and velocity, and a desired point of interest from a user;

a controller module that calculates routing information relating to a route of the user from the current location to the desired destination, and the controller module identifies points of interest along the route of the user and ranks the points of interest according to a relevance of the points of interest to the user'"'"'s current location based on the user'"'"'s route beyond the current location, the user'"'"'s current location the user'"'"'s velocity, and a relevance time,

wherein a size of a geographic area from which the points of interest are identified is determined based at least in part on the user'"'"'s velocity and wherein the relevance time is indicative of an estimated time the point of interest will remain relevant to the user; and

a wireless transmit module that receives the routing information and the ranked points of interest from the controller and transmits the routing information and the ranked points of interest to the user.

25. The device of claim 24, further comprising a memory module that includes map and geographic data.

26. A device, comprising:

a wireless receiver module that receives a desired destination, a current location and velocity, and a preference for points of interest from a user;

a controller module that calculates routing information relating to a route of the user from the current location to the desired destination, and the controller module identifies points of interest along the route of the user based on the user'"'"'s preference for points of interest, and ranks the points of interest according to a relevance of the points of interest to the user'"'"'s current location based on the user'"'"'s route beyond the current location, the user'"'"'s current location, the user'"'"'s velocity and a relevance time, wherein a size of a geographic area from which the points of interest are identified is based at least in part on the user'"'"'s velocity and wherein the relevance time is indicative of an estimated time the point of interest will remain relevant to the user; and

a wireless transmit module that receives the routing information and the ranked points of interest from the controller and transmits the routing information and the ranked points of interest to the user.

27. The device of claim 26, further comprising a memory module that includes map and geographic data.

28. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, wherein the computer program comprises;

code for causing a computer to receive a desired destination from a user;

code for causing a computer to receive a current location and a velocity of the user;

code for causing a computer to calculate routing information relating to a route of the user to the desired destination and provide the routing information to the user;

code for causing a computer to wirelessly receive desired point of interest information from the user;

code for causing a computer to identify points of interest and to rank the identified points of interest according to their relevance to the user'"'"'s current location based on the user'"'"'s route beyond the current location, the user'"'"'s current location the user'"'"'s velocity and a relevance time, wherein a size of a geographic area from which the points of interest are identified is determined based at least in part on the user'"'"'s velocity and wherein the relevance time is indicative of an estimated time the point of interest will remain relevant to the user; and

code for causing a computer to wirelessly provide points of interest to the user based on the relevance of the points of interest.

29. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, wherein the computer program comprises;

code for causing a computer to provide a desired destination of the user to an application;

code for causing a computer to provide navigational information about the user'"'"'s current location and velocity to the application;

code for causing a computer to wirelessly receive routing information relating to a route of the user from the user'"'"'s current location to the desired destination;

code for causing a computer to provide desired point of interest information to the application; and

code for causing a computer to wirelessly receive identified points of interest that are ranked according to their relevance to the user'"'"'s current location based on the user'"'"'s route beyond the current location, the user'"'"'s current location, the user'"'"'s velocity, and a relevance time, wherein a size of a geographic area from which the points of interest are identified is based at least in part on the user'"'"'s velocity and wherein the relevance time is indicative of an estimated time the point of interest will remain relevant to the user.