Sharing navigation data among co-located computing devices

• US 9,973,887 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2016
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Harding, Dean, Foster, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US15/003,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20170215031A1
• Time in Patent Office: 845 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 11/00 Transmission systems employing sonic, ultrasonic or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services

Abstract

This document describes systems, methods, devices, and other techniques for sharing navigation data among computing devices. The techniques can include identifying, by a first computing device, a second computing device, based on the first computing device detecting an audio signal emitted by one or more speakers of the second computing device, wherein the second computing device is running a navigation application that has been programmed to navigate a geographic route. Using information encoded in the audio signal that was emitted by the one or more speakers of the second computing device, the first computing device can determine the geographic route that the navigation application running on the second computing device has been programmed to navigate. A representation of the geographic route can be displayed on an electronic display of the first computing device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for sharing navigation data among co-located computing devices, comprising:

identifying, by a first computing device, a second computing device, based on the first computing device detecting an audio signal emitted by one or more speakers of the second computing device, wherein the second computing device is running a navigation application that has been programmed to navigate a geographic route;

determining, by the first computing device and using information encoded in the audio signal that was emitted by the one or more speakers of the second computing device, the geographic route that the navigation application running on the second computing device has been programmed to navigate; and

displaying a representation of the geographic route on an electronic display of the first computing device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein identifying the second computing device comprises:

causing one or more speakers of the first computing device to emit a first audio signal that indicates the presence of the first computing device; and

monitoring for a response to the first audio signal for a period of time,

wherein the audio signal emitted by the one or more speakers of the second computing device is a second audio signal, wherein the second computing device causes the second audio signal to be emitted in response to detecting the first audio signal.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the first computing device is a mobile computing device; and

the second computing device is a mobile computing device or is at least a portion of an integrated navigation computer system installed in a vehicle.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a center frequency of the audio signal is at least 20 kilohertz.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, using information encoded in a second audio signal emitted by the one or more speakers of the second computing device, that the navigation application running on the second computing device has been re-programmed to navigate a modified geographic route that is different than the geographic route, wherein the first computing device detects the second audio signal while continuing to display the representation of the geographic route on the electronic display of the first computing device;

determining, by the first computing device and using information encoded in the second audio signal, the modified geographic route that the navigation application running on the second computing device has been re-programmed to navigate; and

in response to determining the modified geographic route, automatically changing from displaying the representation of the geographic route on the electronic display of the first computing device to displaying a representation of the modified geographic route on the electronic display of the first computing device.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the audio signal encodes an address that indicates a location on a computer network at which information that specifies the geographic route can be accessed; and

determining the geographic route that the navigation application running on the second computing device has been programmed to navigate comprises using the address encoded in the audio signal to access the information that specifies the geographic route.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the location on the computer network at which the information that specifies the geographic route can be accessed is a location not on the first computing device or the second computing device.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising displaying, along with the representation of the geographic route and on the electronic display of the first computing device, content that identifies the second computing device or a user of the second computing device, so as to indicate that the representation of the geographic route being displayed has been shared with the first computing device by the second computing device or by the user of the second computing device.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the first computing device is in a vehicle;

the second computing device is in the vehicle;

the first computing device belongs to a passenger of the vehicle; and

the second computing device belongs to a driver of the vehicle.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the first computing device, user input to modify the geographic route to generate a modified geographic route; and

transmitting, to the second computing device and in response to receiving the user input to modify the geographic route, information that is formatted to cause the navigation application running on the second computing device to change from navigating the geographic route to navigating the modified geographic route.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining the geographic route that the navigation application running on the second computing device has been programmed to navigate, automatically configuring a navigation application running on the first computing device to navigate the determined geographic route;

while the navigation application running on the first computing device is navigating the determined geographic route, receiving a search query at the first computing device;

obtaining, based on the search query and information about the geographic route, one or more search results that identify respective locations determined to be relevant to the search query and determined to be located within a pre-defined vicinity of the geographic route.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving an indication that user input has selected a particular search result among the one or more search results; and

in response to receiving the indication that the user input has selected the particular search result, transmitting to the second computing device information that is formatted to cause the navigation application running on the second computing device to navigate to the location identified by the particular search result.

13. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause performance of operations comprising:

identifying, by a first computing device, a second computing device, based on the first computing device detecting an audio signal emitted by one or more speakers of the second computing device, wherein the second computing device is running a navigation application that has been programmed to navigate a geographic route;

determining, by the first computing device and using information encoded in the audio signal that was emitted by the one or more speakers of the second computing device, the geographic route that the navigation application running on the second computing device has been programmed to navigate; and

displaying a representation of the geographic route on an electronic display of the first computing device.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein identifying the second computing device comprises:

causing one or more speakers of the first computing device to emit a first audio signal that indicates the presence of the first computing device; and

monitoring for a response to the first audio signal for a period of time,

wherein the audio signal emitted by the one or more speakers of the second computing device is a second audio signal, wherein the second computing device causes the second audio signal to be emitted in response to detecting the first audio signal.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

identifying, using information encoded in a second audio signal emitted by the one or more speakers of the second computing device, that the navigation application running on the second computing device has been re-programmed to navigate a modified geographic route that is different than the geographic route, wherein the first computing device detects the second audio signal while continuing to display the representation of the geographic route on the electronic display of the first computing device;

determining, by the first computing device and using information encoded in the second audio signal, the modified geographic route that the navigation application running on the second computing device has been re-programmed to navigate; and

in response to determining the modified geographic route, automatically changing from displaying the representation of the geographic route on the electronic display of the first computing device to displaying a representation of the modified geographic route on the electronic display of the first computing device.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein:

the audio signal encodes an address that indicates a location on a computer network at which information that specifies the geographic route can be accessed; and

determining the geographic route that the navigation application running on the second computing device has been programmed to navigate comprises using the address encoded in the audio signal to access the information that specifies the geographic route.

17. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, by a first computing device and as having been sent from a second computing device located within a proximity of the first computing device, first navigation data that specifies a geographic route that a navigation application at the second computing device is programmed to navigate;

executing the first navigation data by the first computing device to generate a representation of the geographic route at the first computing device;

receiving, by the first computing device, user input to modify the geographic route to generate a modified geographic route; and

transmitting, by the first computing device and to the second computing device, information usable to access second navigation data that specifies the modified geographic route.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, further comprising transmitting a copy of the second navigation data to a computing system separate from the first computing device and the second computing device,

wherein transmitting the information that is usable to access the second navigation data that specifies the modified geographic route comprises transmitting to the second computing device a pointer that indicates a location of the second navigation data at the computing system.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein receiving the first navigation data that specifies the geographic route comprises receiving an audio signal that is encoded with the first navigation data or that is encoded with a pointer that indicates a network location at which the first navigation data is stored.