Navigation system acquisition and use of cellular coverage map data

• US 9,057,620 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2015
• Issued: 06/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Dave, Swapnil R., Varoglu, Devrim
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafi, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US14/602,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20150142301A1
• Time in Patent Office: 145 Days
• Field of Search: 701400-413, 701/423, 701/428, 701/447, 701/454, 701/460, 701/526, 701/541, 340/995.1, 340/995.11, 340/995.16, 340/995.18, 340/995.19, 340/995.22
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3453 Special cost functions, i.e. other than distance or default speed limit of road segments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3461 Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types, segments such as motorways, toll roads, ferries
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/20 using signal quality detector
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]

Abstract

A mobile device can obtain wireless network signal strength map data that indicates, for various nearby geographical regions, the wireless network signal strength in each such region. A mobile device can transmit that data to a vehicular navigation system responsible for automatically selecting a high-quality route of vehicular travel between a specified source and destination. The system can take the wireless network signal map data into account when selecting that route. When selecting from among multiple different routes of vehicular travel between a specified source and destination, the system may employ an algorithm that considers wireless network signal strengths along those routes, in addition to the other factors. Consequently, the system can select a longer route having better signal strength over a shorter route having worse signal strength. The system can present the selected route within a set of suggested routes, potentially along with reasons for each route'"'"'s suggestion.

Claims

1. A computer-readable memory storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform:

requesting, at a mobile device, from a server, wireless network signal strength map data that pertains to a geographical location of the mobile device at the time of the request;

receiving the wireless network signal strength map at the mobile device data from the server; and

transmitting the wireless network signal strength map data from the mobile device to a vehicular navigation system that uses the wireless network signal strength map data to;

calculate a separate score for each route of a plurality of routes by computing a sub-score for each geographical region of a plurality of geographical regions represented in the wireless network signal strength map data based at least in part on a wireless network signal strength level for that particular geographical region as indicated in the wireless network signal strength map data and a quantity of time that a vehicle containing the vehicular navigation system is predicted to travel through that particular geographical region; and

select and present, on a display of the vehicular navigation system, based on the scores calculated for routes of the plurality of routes, a subset of routes from a plurality of routes leading from the geographical location of the mobile device to a specified destination.

2. The computer-readable memory of claim 1, wherein the quantity of time that the vehicle is predicted to travel through the particular geographical region is based on both:

a length of a segment of a route that passes through the particular geographical region and

one or more speed limits applying to the segment.

3. The computer-readable memory of claim 1, wherein the vehicular navigation system computes the sub-score for the particular geographical region by multiplying the wireless network signal strength level for the particular geographical region by the quantity of time.

4. A computer-readable memory storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform:

receiving, at a vehicular navigation system, from a mobile device, wireless network signal strength map data that pertains to a current geographical location of the mobile device;

based at least in part on the wireless network signal strength map data, calculating, at the vehicular navigation system, a separate score for each particular route of a plurality of routes, wherein the score calculated for the particular route is based at least in part on computing a sub-score for each geographical region of a plurality of geographical regions represented in the wireless network signal strength map data based on a wireless network signal strength level for that particular geographical region as indicated in the wireless network signal strength map data and a quantity of time that a vehicle containing the vehicular navigation system is predicted to travel through that particular geographical region; and

presenting, on a display of the vehicular navigation system, a graphical map that indicates one or more suggested routes that the vehicular navigation system selected from the plurality of routes based on the scores that the vehicular navigation system calculated for routes in the plurality of routes.

5. The computer-readable memory of claim 4, wherein the quantity of time that the vehicle is predicted to travel through the particular geographical region is based on both:

a length of a segment of a route that passes through the particular geographical region and

one or more speed limits applying to the segment.

6. The computer-readable memory of claim 4, wherein computing comprises computing the sub-score for the particular geographical region by multiplying the wireless network signal strength level for the particular geographical region by the quantity of time.

7. A method comprising:

requesting, at a mobile device, from a server, wireless network signal strength map data that pertains to a geographical location of the mobile device at the time of the request;

receiving the wireless network signal strength map at the mobile device data from the server; and

transmitting the wireless network signal strength map data from the mobile device to a vehicular navigation system that uses the wireless network signal strength map data to;

calculate a separate score for each route of a plurality of routes by computing a sub-score for each geographical region of a plurality of geographical regions represented in the wireless network signal strength map data based at least in part on a wireless network signal strength level for that particular geographical region as indicated in the wireless network signal strength map data and a quantity of time that a vehicle containing the vehicular navigation system is predicted to travel through that particular geographical region; and

select and present, on a display of the vehicular navigation system, based on the scores calculated for routes of the plurality of routes, a subset of routes from a plurality of routes leading from the geographical location of the mobile device to a specified destination.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining, by the mobile device, a quality of mobile communication that is possible within each particular area of a plurality of areas within a region covered by the map data based on historical data that the mobile device alone has accumulated and stored within a memory of the mobile device during previous trips that the mobile device has taken through one or more of the plurality of particular areas within the region.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining, by the mobile device, a quality of mobile communication that is possible within a particular area of a plurality of areas within a region covered by the map data based on multiple measurements of cellular signal strength within that particular area at different times.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining, by the mobile device, a quality of mobile communication that is possible within a particular area of a plurality of areas within a region covered by the map data based on a proportion of dropped telephone calls occurring within that particular area at different times.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining, by the mobile device, a quality of mobile communication that is possible within a particular area of a plurality of areas within a region covered by the map data based on a measured bandwidth of packetized data communications occurring within that particular area at different times.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining, by the mobile device, a quality of mobile communication that is possible within a particular area of a plurality of areas within a region covered by the map data based on a measured proportion of data packets retransmitted during packetized data communications occurring within that particular area at different times.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining, by the mobile device, a quality of mobile communication that is possible within a particular area of a plurality of areas within a region covered by the map data based on quality measurements made within that particular area by a plurality of separate mobile devices.

14. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining, by the mobile device, a quality of mobile communication that is possible within a particular area of a plurality of areas within a region covered by the map data based only on quality measurements made for a wireless network of a cell phone company that is the same as a cell phone company that the mobile device exclusively uses.

15. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

measuring, at the mobile device, a current quality of mobile communication within an area in which the mobile device is currently located; and

transmitting the current quality of mobile communication wirelessly over a network to the server.

16. A method comprising:

receiving, at a vehicular navigation system, from a mobile device, wireless network signal strength map data that pertains to a current geographical location of the mobile device;

based at least in part on the wireless network signal strength map data, calculating, at the vehicular navigation system, a separate score for each particular route of a plurality of routes, wherein the score calculated for the particular route is based at least in part on computing a sub-score for each geographical region of a plurality of geographical regions represented in the wireless network signal strength map data based on a wireless network signal strength level for that particular geographical region as indicated in the wireless network signal strength map data and a quantity of time that a vehicle containing the vehicular navigation system is predicted to travel through that particular geographical region; and

presenting, on a display of the vehicular navigation system, a graphical map that indicates one or more suggested routes that the vehicular navigation system selected from the plurality of routes based on the scores that the vehicular navigation system calculated for routes in the plurality of routes.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving, from the mobile device at the vehicular navigation system, quality data indicating a quality of mobile communication that is possible within each particular area of a plurality of areas within a region covered by the map data, said quality data based on historical data that the mobile device alone has accumulated and stored within a memory of the mobile device during previous trips that the mobile device has taken through one or more of the plurality of particular areas within the region; and

calculating a score for the particular route based at least in part on the quality data.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving, from the mobile device at the vehicular navigation system, quality data indicating a quality of mobile communication that is possible within a particular area of a plurality of areas within a region covered by the map data, said quality data based on a proportion of dropped telephone calls occurring within that particular area at different times; and

calculating a score for the particular route based at least in part on the quality data.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving, from the mobile device at the vehicular navigation system, quality data indicating a quality of mobile communication that is possible within a particular area of a plurality of areas within a region covered by the map data, said quality data based on a measured bandwidth of packetized data communications occurring within that particular area at different times; and

calculating a score for the particular route based at least in part on the quality data.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving, from the mobile device at the vehicular navigation system, quality data indicating a quality of mobile communication that is possible within a particular area of a plurality of areas within a region covered by the map data, said quality data based on a measured proportion of data packets retransmitted during packetized data communications occurring within that particular area at different times; and

calculating a score for the particular route based at least in part on the quality data.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving, from the mobile device at the vehicular navigation system, quality data indicating a quality of mobile communication that is possible within a particular area of a plurality of areas within a region covered by the map data, said quality data based on quality measurements made within that particular area by a plurality of separate mobile devices; and

calculating a score for the particular route based at least in part on the quality data.