Direction assistance based on personal experience

• US 9,820,103 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2014
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Beaumont, Suzanne Marion, Plaskonos, Paul, Waltermann, Rod D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOLLIDAY, JAIME MICHELE
• Application Number:
  US14/161,464
• Publication Number:
  US 20150208202A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,392 Days
• Field of Search: 4554141, 4554561-457
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A device accesses not only an electronic map to provide directions on the device, but also accesses personal experience information of a user to augment the directions.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

an output device in communication with the processor; and

storage accessible to the processor and bearing instructions executable by the processor to;

access information useful for providing directions to a destination;

based at least in part on the information and based at least in part on identification of at least one point of interest associated with a future event, output directions to the destination on the output device along with an indication of a location associated with the at least one point of interest, the at least one point of interest associated with the future event being identified based at least in part on the future event being associated with a device associated with a contact in a contact data structure, the indication of the location associated with the point of interest being output based at least in part on identifying that the device associated with the contact communicated with the apparatus on a recurring basis at the location.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output comprises a message indicating a proper noun associated with the location, the message further comprising an option selectable by the user to alter the directions to include a route past the location.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output device is a display, and wherein the instructions are executable to:

present on the display a user interface (UI) comprising plural options respectively selectable for augmenting directions based on respective different parameters.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the indication comprises at least one instruction on a route to take to travel to the location.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to output the directions based at least in part on an identified preference of the user to make turns in a first direction rather than a second direction different from the first direction.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to output the directions based at least in part on an identified preference of the user to pass a particular type of location.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to output the directions based at least in part on an identified preference of the user to pass a particular location.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to output the directions based at least in part on an identified preference of the user to travel using a travel medium of a particular travel medium type, the travel medium type selected from the group consisting of:

highways, surface roads.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to output the directions based at least in part on an identified preference of the user to avoid a particular road during an inclement weather condition.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to output the directions based at least in part on an identified preference of the user to travel a particular travel medium type at a particular time of day.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to output the directions based at least in part on an identified preference of the user to travel a particular travel medium type on a particular day.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to output, with the directions, a recommended departure time determined based at least in part on information in a calendar accessible to the apparatus.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to output, with the directions, a recommended departure time determined based at least in part on information accessible to the apparatus pertaining to a weather condition.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

based at least in part on identification of at least a first activity being participated in by a user at least a threshold number of times greater than one, output the directions to the destination on the output device along with an indication of a location associated with the first activity.

15. A method, comprising:

accessing, using an apparatus, information useful for providing directions to a destination;

outputting, based at least in part on the information and based at least in part on identification of at least one point of interest associated with a future event, directions to the destination on an output device along with an indication of a location associated with the at least one point of interest, the at least one point of interest associated with the future event being identified based at least in part on the future event being associated with a device associated with a contact in a contact data structure, the indication of the location associated with the point of interest being output based at least in part on identifying that the device associated with the contact communicated with the apparatus on a recurring basis at the location.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the output device is a display, and wherein the method comprises:

presenting on the display a user interface (UI) comprising plural options respectively selectable for augmenting directions based on respective different parameters.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the indication comprises at least one instruction on a route to take to travel to the location.

18. A computer readable storage medium (CRSM) that is not a transitory signal, the computer readable storage medium comprising instructions executable by at least one processor of an apparatus to:

access information useful for providing directions to a destination;

based at least in part on the information and based at least in part on identification of at least one point of interest associated with a future event, output directions to the destination on an output device along with an indication of a location associated with the at least one point of interest, the at least one point of interest associated with the future event being identified based at least in part on the future event being associated with a device associated with a contact in a contact data structure, the indication of the location associated with the point of interest being output based at least in part on identifying that the device associated with the contact communicated with the apparatus on a recurring basis at the location.

19. The CRSM of claim 18, wherein the instructions are executable by the at least one processor to output, with the directions, a recommended departure time determined based at least in part on information in a calendar accessible to the apparatus.

20. The CRSM of claim 18, wherein the instructions are executable by the at least one processor to:

based at least in part on identification of at least a first activity being participated in by a user at least a threshold number of times greater than one, output the directions to the destination on the output device along with an indication of a location associated with the first activity.