Internet queried directional navigation system with mobile and fixed originating location determination

• US 9,918,196 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2017
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Traxcell Technologies II LLC
• Original Assignee: Traxcell Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Reed, Mark Jefferson, Palik, Stephen Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Application Number:
  US15/717,138
• Publication Number:
  US 20180041869A1
• Time in Patent Office: 167 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02525 Gathering the radio frequency fingerprints
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks

Abstract

A mobile wireless network and a method of operation provide directional assistance in response to an Internet query. The directional assistance is provided from a location of the querying device to a destination that may be selectively prompted based on whether the destination is a nearby business, a type of business, a street address, or another mobile device or fixed telephone location. The location of the querying device is also selectively determined depending on whether the querying device is a wireless device such as a mobile telephone, or whether the device has a presumed fixed location, such as an ordinary telephone connected to a public-switched telephone network (PSTN).

Claims

1. A method of providing navigation assistance to a user of a communications device, the method comprising:

receiving, by a directional assistance service, an Internet query initiated at the communications device and directed via the Internet to initiate a request for navigational assistance to a destination;

responsive to receiving the Internet query, determining whether or not the communications device is a mobile wireless communications device;

responsive to determining that the communications device is the mobile wireless communications device, the directional assistance service determining and using a present location of the mobile wireless communications device as a location of the communications device;

responsive to determining that the communications device is not the mobile wireless communications device, obtaining a fixed location associated with the communications device to determine the location of the communications device; and

the directional assistance service providing navigation information to the communications device in response to the Internet query, wherein the navigation provides directions for proceeding from the location of the communications device to a location of the destination.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining and using the present location of the mobile wireless communications device comprises querying an external user location database of a network of the mobile wireless communications device to determine the location of the communications device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining and using the present location of the mobile wireless communications device comprises:

the directional assistance service initiating locating the mobile wireless communications device by sending a query to a switch or base station controller of a wireless network; and

building an internal database storing the present location of the mobile wireless communications device with results of the query and using the stored location as the location of the communications device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining the fixed location associated with the communications device comprises retrieving the fixed location from a database.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the retrieving the fixed location from the database comprises querying a public service telephone network (PSTN).

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a user input of a destination telephone number at the communications device, wherein the received Internet query includes the destination phone number, and wherein the directional assistance service determines the location of the destination from the destination phone number.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a user input of a destination address at the communications device, wherein the received Internet query includes the destination address, and wherein the directional assistance service determines the location of the destination from the destination address.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a user input of a name of a business at the communications device, wherein the received Internet query includes the name of the business, and wherein the directional assistance service determines the location of the destination from the name of the business.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the user input of the name of the business is a first user input, and wherein the method further comprises:

the directional assistance service providing selection between the first user input of the name of the business or a second user input of a destination telephone number at the communications device;

receiving a third user input specifying selection of either user input of the name of the business or the destination telephone number; and

receiving either the first user input of the name of the business or the second user input of the destination telephone number as a destination descriptor, and wherein the received Internet query includes the destination descriptor, and wherein the directional assistance service determines the location of the destination from the destination descriptor.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the directional assistance service prompting the user of the communications device to provide an option for selection of suggested nearby businesses as the destination;

responsive to the user selecting the option for selection of the suggested nearby businesses, the directional assistance service suggesting one or more nearby businesses; and

responsive to a user input selecting a selected one of the suggested nearby businesses, sending the Internet query including an identifier of the selected one of the suggested nearby businesses.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

the directional assistance service prompting the user of the communications device to provide an option for selection of a category of business for the suggested nearby businesses;

responsive to the user selecting the option for selection of the category of business, sending a prompt for the user to specify the category of business; and

responsive to the user specifying the category of business, the directional assistance service suggesting the one or more nearby businesses matching the category of business.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the directional assistance service prompting the user of the communications device to provide an option for selection of tracking another communications device that is another mobile wireless communications device; and

responsive to the user selecting the option for tracking the another mobile wireless communications device, the directional assistance service sending the Internet query with an identifier of the another mobile wireless communications device.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the directional assistance service prompting the user of the communications device to provide an option for selection between providing one of a destination telephone number, a destination address, a destination business or a category of business;

responsive to the user selecting the option for providing the destination telephone number, receiving a second user input of the destination telephone number, wherein the received Internet query includes the destination telephone number, and wherein the directional assistance service determines the location of the destination from the destination telephone number;

responsive to the user selecting the option for providing the destination address, receiving a third user input of the destination address, wherein the received Internet query includes the destination address, and wherein the directional assistance service determines the location of the destination from the destination address;

responsive to the user selecting the option for providing a category of business, receiving a fourth user input specifying the category of business;

responsive to receiving the fourth user input, the directional assistance service suggesting one or more nearby businesses matching the category of business; and

further responsive to receiving the fourth user input and further responsive to receiving a fifth user input selecting one of the suggested one or more nearby businesses matching the category of business, sending an identifier of the selected one of the suggested one or more nearby businesses in the Internet query, wherein the directional assistance service determines the location of the destination from the identifier of the selected one of the suggested one or more nearby businesses.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the directional assistance service prompting the user of the communications device to provide the option for selection between providing one of the destination telephone number, the destination address, the destination business or the category of businesses further provides an option for locating another mobile wireless communications device, and responsive to the user selecting the option for locating the another mobile wireless communications device, receiving a sixth user input of a telephone number of the another mobile wireless communications device, wherein the received Internet query includes the telephone number of the another mobile wireless communications device, and wherein the directional assistance service determines the location of the destination from the telephone number of the another mobile wireless communications device.

15. A mobile wireless communications network, comprising:

multiple radio-frequency transceivers and associated multiple antennas to which the associated radio-frequency transceivers are coupled, wherein the multiple radio-frequency transceivers are configured for radio-frequency communication with one or more mobile wireless communications devices; and

a directional assistance network coupled to the multiple radio-frequency transceivers, wherein the directional assistance network receives an Internet query initiated at a communications device and directed via the Internet to initiate a request for navigational assistance to a destination and responsive to receiving the Internet query, determines whether or not the communications device is a one of the one or more mobile wireless communications devices, and responsive to determining that the communications device is a one of the one or more mobile wireless communications devices, determines and uses a present location of the communication device as a location of the communications device, wherein the directional assistance network, responsive to determining that the communications device is not one of the one or more mobile wireless communications devices, obtains a fixed location associated with the communications device to determine the location of the communications device, and wherein the directional assistance network provides navigation information to the communications device in response to the Internet query, and wherein the navigation information provides directions for proceeding from the location of the communications device to a location of the destination.

16. The mobile wireless communications network of claim 15, wherein the directional assistance network determines and uses the present location of the communications device by querying an external user location database of a wireless network to which of the one or more mobile wireless communications devices are connected to determine the location of the communications device.

17. The mobile wireless communications network of claim 15, wherein the directional assistance network determines and uses the present location of the communications device by initiating locating the communications device by sending a query to a switch or base station controller of a wireless network to which the one or more mobile wireless communications devices are connected, building an internal database storing the present location of the communications device with results of the query and using the stored location as the location of the communications device.

18. The mobile wireless communications network of claim 15, wherein the directional assistance network obtains the fixed location associated with the communications device by retrieving the fixed location from a database.

19. The mobile wireless communications network of claim 18, wherein the directional assistance network retrieves the fixed location from the database by querying a public service telephone network (PSTN).

20. The mobile wireless communications network of claim 15, wherein the communications device further receives a user input of a destination address and sends the Internet query to the directional assistance network including the destination address, and wherein the directional assistance network determines the location of the destination from the destination address.

21. The mobile wireless communications network of claim 15, wherein the communications device further receives a user input of a destination telephone number and sends the Internet query to the directional assistance network including the destination phone number, and wherein the directional assistance network determines the location of the destination from the destination phone number.

22. The mobile wireless communications network of claim 15, wherein the communications device further receives a user input of a name of a business, wherein the Internet query received by the directional assistance network includes the name of the business, and wherein the directional assistance network determines the location of the destination from the name of the business.

23. The mobile wireless communications network of claim 22, wherein the user input of the name of the business is a first user input, and wherein the directional assistance network provides selection between the first user input of the name of the business or a second user input of a destination telephone number via the communications device, wherein the communications device receives a third user input specifying selection of either user input of the name of the business or the destination telephone number and either the first user input of the name of the business or the second user input of the destination telephone number as a destination descriptor, and wherein the communications device sends the Internet query including the destination descriptor, and wherein the directional assistance network determines the location of the destination from the destination descriptor.

24. The mobile wireless communications network of claim 15, wherein the directional assistance network further prompts the user via the communications device to provide an option for selection of suggested nearby businesses as the destination, and responsive to the user selecting the option for selection of the suggested nearby businesses, the directional assistance network suggests one or more nearby businesses, and wherein responsive to a user input selecting a selected one of the suggested nearby businesses at the communications device, the communication device sends the Internet query including an identifier of the selected one of the suggested nearby businesses.

25. The mobile wireless communications of claim 24, wherein the directional assistance network further prompts the user of the communications device to provide an option for selection of a category of business for the suggested nearby businesses and responsive to the user selecting the option for selection of the category of business, sends a prompt for the user to specify the category of business, wherein the directional assistance network, responsive to the user specifying the category of business, the directional assistance network suggesting the one or more nearby businesses matching the category of business.

26. The mobile wireless communications network of claim 15, wherein the directional assistance network further prompts the user via the communications device to provide an option for selection of tracking another communications device that is another mobile wireless communications device, and wherein the communications device, responsive to the user selecting the option for tracking the another communications device, sends the Internet query with an identifier of the another communications device.

27. The mobile wireless network of claim 15, wherein the directional assistance network prompts the user of the communications device to provide an option for selection between providing one of a destination telephone number, a destination address, a destination business or a category of business, wherein the directional assistance network, responsive to the user selecting the option for providing the destination telephone number, receives a second user input of the destination telephone number in the Internet query, whereby the directional assistance network determines the location of the destination from the destination telephone number, wherein the directional assistance network, responsive to the user selecting the option for providing the destination address, receives a third user input of the destination address in the Internet query, whereby the directional assistance network determines the location of the destination from the destination address, and wherein the directional assistance network, responsive to the user selecting the option for providing a category of business, receives a fourth user input specifying the category of business from the communications device and responsive to receiving the fourth user input, the directional assistance network communicating a suggestion of one or more nearby businesses matching the category of business to the communications device, and receives a fifth user input selecting one of the suggested one or more nearby businesses and sends an identifier of the selected one of the suggested one or more nearby businesses in the Internet query, whereby the directional assistance network determines the location of the destination from the identifier.

28. The mobile wireless communications network of claim 27, wherein the directional assistance network further prompts the user of the communications device to provide an option for selection of locating another mobile wireless communications device, and responsive to the user selecting the option for locating the another mobile wireless communications device, receives a sixth user input of a telephone number of the another mobile wireless communications device in the Internet query, and wherein the directional assistance network determines the location of the destination from the telephone number of the another mobile wireless communications device.

29. A method of providing navigation assistance to a user of a communications device, the method comprising:

a directional assistance network prompting the user of the communications device to provide an option for selection of suggested nearby businesses as a destination;

responsive to the user selecting the option for selection of suggested nearby businesses, the directional assistance network suggesting one or more nearby businesses;

responsive to a user input selecting a selected one of the suggested nearby businesses, the communications device sending an Internet query including an identifier of the selected one of the suggested nearby businesses;

the directional assistance network receiving the Internet query, wherein the directional assistance network determines a location of the destination from the identifier of the selected one of the suggested nearby businesses;

responsive to receiving the Internet query, determining whether or not the communications device is a mobile wireless communications device;

responsive to determining that the communications device is a mobile wireless communications device, the directional assistance network determining and using a present location of the mobile wireless communications device as a location of the communications device;

responsive to determining that the communications device is not the mobile wireless communications device, obtaining a fixed location associated with the communications device to determine the location of the communications device by querying a public service telephone network (PSTN) to retrieve the fixed location of the communications device from a database;

the directional assistance network initiating locating the mobile wireless communications device by sending a query to a switch or base station controller of a wireless network; and

building an internal database storing the present location of the mobile wireless communications device with results of the query and using the stored location as the location of the communications device; and

the directional assistance network providing navigation information to the communications device in response to the query, wherein the navigation provides directions for proceeding from the location of the communications device to the location of the destination.

30. A mobile wireless communications network, comprising:

multiple radio-frequency transceivers and associated multiple antennas to which the associated radio-frequency transceivers are coupled, wherein the multiple radio-frequency transceivers are configured for radio-frequency communication with one or more mobile wireless communications devices; and

a directional assistance network coupled to the multiple radio-frequency transceivers, wherein the directional assistance network prompts a user of the communications device to provide an option for selection of suggested nearby businesses as a destination, and responsive to the user selecting the option for selection of suggested nearby businesses, the directional assistance network suggesting one or more nearby businesses, wherein the directional assistance network receives an Internet query initiated at the communications device and directed via the Internet to initiate a request for navigational assistance to a selected one of the one or more nearby businesses as the destination and responsive to receiving the Internet query, determines whether or not the communications device is one of the one or more mobile wireless communications devices, and responsive to determining that the communications device is one of the one or more mobile wireless communications devices determines and uses a present location of the one of the communications device as a location of the communications device by initiating locating the communications device by sending a query to a switch or base station controller of the wireless network, building an internal database storing the present location of the communications device with results of the query and using the stored location as the location of the communications device, and responsive to determining that the communications device is not one of the one or more mobile wireless communications devices, obtains a fixed location associated with the communications device retrieving the fixed location from a database by querying a public service telephone network (PSTN) to determine the location of the communications device, and wherein the directional assistance network provides navigation information to the communications device in response to the query, wherein the navigation information provides directions for proceeding from the location of the communications device to a location of the destination.