Methods for obtaining a navigation track between a first and a second location based on location information shared between peer devices and related devices and computer program products

• US 9,759,566 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2010
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ruckart, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Amin, Bhavesh V
• Application Number:
  US12/954,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20110071754A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,484 Days
• Field of Search: 701400-541
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/005 with correlation of navigation data from several sources, e.g. map or contour matching G01C21/30 takes precedence

Abstract

A first device is operated to obtain a navigation track between a first location and a second location by establishing a peer-to-peer communication connection with a second device and receiving a message that contains information associated with the first location and/or the second location from the second device. The information is associated with a navigation module on the first device. The information associated with the at least one of the first location and the second location is processed using the navigation module to obtain the navigation track between the first location and the second location.

Claims

1. A method of operating a first device, comprising

establishing a peer-to-peer communication connection with a second device;

receiving a message that contains information corresponding to one of a first location on the earth and a second location on the earth from the second device, the information being associated with a navigation module on the first device;

processing the information corresponding to the one of the first location and the second location using the navigation module to obtain a terrestrial navigation track between the first location and the second location, the terrestrial navigation track comprising an identifiable thoroughfare on the earth having a terrestrial waypoint between the first and the second location;

displaying the terrestrial navigation track; and

updating a display of the terrestrial navigation track responsive to changes in a current location of the first device without requesting input from an external device.

2. The method of Claim 1, wherein processing the information comprises:

accessing a navigation information repository on the first device to determine the terrestrial navigation track between the first location and the second location.

3. The method of Claim 1, wherein processing the information comprises:

accessing a remote navigation information repository via a communication connection therewith to determine the terrestrial navigation track between the first location and the second location.

4. The method of Claim 1, wherein the first location is the current location of the first device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first location is a current location of the second device and the second location is the current location of the first device.

6. The method of Claim 1, wherein the first location and a current location of the second device are different and the second location and the current location of the second device are different.

7. The method of Claim 1, wherein the first location and the current location of the first device are different and the second location and the current location of the first device are different.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with one of the first location and the second location comprises one of global positioning system information, cellular technology location information, an address, and a name.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the global positioning system information is encoded in a global positioning system eXchange format.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the message comprises one of a short message service text message, a hyperlink, an electronic mail, a directory listing, an advertisement, an instant message, and a voice over Internet protocol call;

and

wherein the information is one of an attachment to the message and embedded in the message using a delimiter that distinguishes the information from other content of the message.

11. The method, of claim 1, further comprising, before processing the information:

saving the information at the first device; and

ending the communication connection with the second device.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the message comprises one of a hyperlink, a directory listing, and an advertisement.

12. A first device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor and comprising computer readable program code embodied in the memory that when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform operations comprising;

establishing a peer-to-peer communication connection with a second device;

receiving a message that contains information corresponding to one of a first location on the earth and a second location on the earth from the second device, the information being associated with a navigation module on the first device;

processing the information corresponding to the one of the first location and the second location using the navigation module to obtain a terrestrial navigation track between the first location and the second location, the terrestrial navigation track comprising an identifiable thoroughfare on the earth having a terrestrial waypoint between the first and the second location;

displaying the terrestrial navigation track; and

updating a display of the terrestrial navigation track responsive to changes in a current location of the first device without requesting input from an external device.

13. The first device of claim 12, wherein processing the information comprises:

accessing a navigation information repository on the first device to determine the terrestrial navigation track between the first location and the second location.

14. The first device of claim 12, wherein processing the information comprises:

accessing a remote navigation information repository via a communication connection therewith to determine the terrestrial navigation track between the first location and the second location.

15. The first device of claim 12, wherein the first location is the current location of the first device.

16. The first device of claim 12, wherein one of the first location and the second location is a current location of the second device.

17. The first device of claim 12, wherein the first location and a current location of the second device are different and the second location and the current location of the second device are different.

18. The first device of claim 12, wherein the second location is the current location of the first device.

19. The first device of claim 12, wherein the first location and the current location of the first device are different and the second location and the current location of the first device are different.

22. The first device of claim 12, wherein the message comprises one of a hyperlink, a directory listing, and an advertisement.

20. A computer program product for operating a first device, comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable program code embodied in the medium that when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform operations comprising;

establishing a peer-to-peer communication connection with a second device;

receiving a message that contains information corresponding to one of a first location on the earth and a second location on the earth from the second device, the information being associated with a navigation module on the first device;

processing the information corresponding to the one of the first location and the second location using the navigation module to obtain a terrestrial navigation track between the first location and the second location, the terrestrial navigation track comprising an identifiable thoroughfare on the earth having a terrestrial waypoint between the first and the second location;

displaying the terrestrial navigation track; and

updating a display of the terrestrial navigation track responsive to changes in a current location of the first device without requesting input from an external device.

23. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the message comprises one of a hyperlink, a directory listing, and an advertisement.