Navigating at a wireless device

• US 8,798,914 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2009
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Gum, Arnold Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Desai, Resha
• Application Number:
  US12/467,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20100179750A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,908 Days
• Field of Search: 701/201, 701400-541
• US Class Current: 701/410
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application

Abstract

Apparatuses and Methods of navigating from a current position to a destination location at a mobile device are provided. A navigation program is launched at the mobile device, and a selection of a calendar event from a calendar program is received, where the calendar event is an entry in the calendar program. A location associated with the received calendar event location is determined, and a destination location is determined based on the associated location. The navigation program generates navigation instructions (e.g., turn-by-turn directions, map information, etc.) from a current location of the mobile device to the destination location. In an alternative aspect, instead of a calendar program, the associated location can be retrieved from a given contact in a contact list or program.

Claims

1. A method of navigating, from a current position to a destination location, at a mobile device, comprising:

launching a navigation program at the mobile device;

receiving a selection of a contact from a contact list at the mobile device;

determining that a plurality of locations are stored in association with the contact list for the selected contact;

selecting the destination location from the plurality of locations of the selected contact by prompting a user to select one of the plurality of locations in response to the determination;

generating navigation instructions from a current location of the mobile device to the destination location; and

designating the destination location as a primary location that is configured for default selection without prompting the user a next time the selected contact is selected in association with the navigation program.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of another contact from the contact list on the mobile device;

determining that no locations are stored in association with the contact list for the selected another contact; and

prompting the user to enter at least one location for the selected another contact based on the determination that no locations are stored in association with the contact list for the selected another contact.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

updating the contact list to include the at least one location for the selected another contact.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact list is an address book maintained at the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the current location of the mobile device is obtained via one or more of a satellite positioning system (SPS) or a cellular-based positioning system.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a subsequent selection of the selected contact from the contact list at the mobile device in association with the navigation program;

selecting the default location without prompting the user for a location selection in response to the subsequent selection; and

generating navigation instructions from a subsequent current location of the mobile device to the default location.

7. A mobile communications device for navigating from a current position to a destination location, comprising:

means for launching a navigation program at the mobile device;

means for receiving a selection of a contact from a contact list at the mobile device;

means for determining that a plurality of locations are stored in association with the contact list for the selected contact;

means for selecting the destination location from the plurality of locations of the selected contact by prompting a user to select one of the plurality of locations in response to the determination;

means for generating navigation instructions from a current location of the mobile device to the destination location; and

means for designating the destination location as a primary location that is configured for default selection without prompting the user a next time the selected contact is selected in association with the navigation program.

8. A mobile communications device for navigating from a current position to a destination location, comprising one or more processors configured to:

launch a navigation program at the mobile device;

receive a selection of a contact from a contact list at the mobile device;

determine that a plurality of locations are stored in association with the contact list for the selected contact;

select the destination location from the plurality of locations of the selected contact by prompting a user to select one of the plurality of locations in response to the determination;

generate navigation instructions from a current location of the mobile device to the destination location; and

designate the destination location as a primary location that is configured for default selection without prompting the user a next time the selected contact is selected in association with the navigation program.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which, when executed by a mobile communications device within a wireless communications system for navigating from a current position to a destination location, cause the communication entity to perform operations, the instructions comprising:

program code to launch a navigation program at the mobile device;

program code to receive a selection of a contact from a contact list at the mobile device;

program code to determine that a plurality of locations are stored in association with the contact list for the selected contact;

program code to select the destination location from the plurality of locations of the selected contact by prompting a user to select one of the plurality of locations in response to the determination;

program code to generate navigation instructions from a current location of the mobile device to the destination location; and

program code to designate the destination location as a primary location that is configured for default selection without prompting the user a next time the selected contact is selected in association with the navigation program.