Technique for effective navigation based on user preferences

• US 9,983,015 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Silver State Intellectual Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Silver State Intellectual Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Obradovich, Michael L., Pirtle, John D., Schebesch, Steven W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jen, Ian
• Application Number:
  US13/801,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20130197796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,903 Days
• Field of Search: 701 35, 701201, 701202, 701207, 701208, 701209, 701211, 701212, 701213
• 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: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

In a navigation device in accordance with the invention, user profiles may be stored and used to navigate a user who may be driving in a vehicle, on foot, or in other mode of transportation. Each user profile corresponds to one of the user'"'"'s personae. For example, the user business profile corresponding to the user'"'"'s business persona may be different from the user personal profile corresponding to the user'"'"'s personal persona. For instance, the user business profile may include fine-dining type restaurants for business meetings while the user personal profile may instead include fast-food type restaurants for personal dining. The inventive navigation device provides the user with a navigated route, together with information concerning the favorite facilities and events surrounding the navigated route, which satisfy the preferences in a selected user profile. In accordance with an aspect of the invention, blockages may also be established using the device to avoid selected areas, e.g., high crime areas, in the navigated route, or to block transmission of selected information concerning, e.g., uninteresting facilities and events, to the inventive navigation device.

Claims

1. A method for use in a navigation system which includes a display, the method comprising:

storing a first user persona associated with a first set of user preference data;

storing a second user persona associated with a second set of user preference data;

determining user location information;

determining which of the first and second user personae is currently selected;

receiving from a user a request for planning a route;

devising a planned route in response to the request;

suggesting one or more points of interest based at least on the user location information, the set of user preference data associated with the selected user personae, and the locations of the one or more points of interest in relation to the planned route; and

presenting, on the display, a map indicating the user location, the planned route, and one or more indicators indicating locations of the one or more suggested points of interest in relation to the user location;

wherein the one or more indicators are presented in relation to the planned route; and

wherein the map indicates information concerning weather conditions.

2. The method of claim 1, the user preference data being user-selected preferences in a plurality of categories, each user-selected preference being a type of good or service within the category.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the categories comprise two or more of music, entertainment, shopping, recreation, sports, restaurants and services.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first set of user preference data is different than the second set of user preference data.

5. A method for use in a navigation system which includes a display, the method comprising:

storing a first user persona associated with a first set of user preference data;

storing a second user persona associated with a second set of user preference data;

determining user location information;

determining which of the first and second user personae is currently selected;

receiving from a user a request for planning a route;

devising a planned route in response to the request;

suggesting one or more points of interest based at least on the user location information, the set of user preference data associated with the selected user personae, and the locations of the one or more points of interest in relation to the planned route; and

presenting, on the display, a map indicating the user location, the planned route, and one or more indicators indicating locations of the one or more suggested points of interest in relation to the user location;

wherein the one or more indicators are presented in relation to the planned route; and

wherein the map indicates information concerning traffic conditions.

6. The method of claim 5, the user preference data being user-selected preferences in a plurality of categories, each user-selected preference being a type of good or service within the category.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the categories comprise two or more of music, entertainment, shopping, recreation, sports, restaurants and services.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first set of user preference data is different than the second set of user preference data.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more points of interest comprise facility or event.

10. A method for use in a navigation system which includes a display, the method comprising:

storing a first user persona associated with a first set of user preference data;

storing a second user persona associated with a second set of user preference data;

determining user location information;

determining which of the first and second user personae is currently selected;

receiving from a user a request for planning a route;

devising a planned route in response to the request;

suggesting one or more points of interest based at least on the user location information, the set of user preference data associated with the selected user personae, and the locations of the one or more points of interest in relation to the planned route; and

presenting, on the display, a map indicating the user location, the planned route, and one or more indicators indicating locations of the one or more suggested points of interest in relation to the user location;

wherein the one or more indicators are presented in relation to the planned route; and

wherein the map is organized according to GPS coordinates.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the map indicates information concerning road conditions.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the map indicates information concerning weather conditions.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the map indicates information concerning traffic conditions.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more points of interest include one or more goods or service providers.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more goods or service providers comprise a restaurant.

16. The method of claim 10 additionally comprising storing records associated with a plurality of points of interest, allowing a user to select one of the plurality of points of interest presented on the display, and retrieving a record associated with a user selected point of interest.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the record contains at least connection data, and additionally comprising allowing a user entry to cause a lookup of the connection data in the record to establish a communications connection with the selected point of interest using the connection data.

18. The method of claim 10, the user preference data being user-selected preferences in a plurality of categories, each user-selected preference being a type of good or service within the category.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the categories comprise two or more of music, entertainment, shopping, recreation, sports, restaurants and services.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein the first set of user preference data is different than the second set of user preference data.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the one or more points of interest comprise facility or event.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the first user persona relates to personal activities of a user.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the second user persona relates to business activities of a user.

24. A method for use in a navigation system which includes a display, the method comprising:

storing a first user persona associated with a first set of user preference data;

storing a second user persona associated with a second set of user preference data;

determining user location information;

determining which of the first and second user personae is currently selected;

receiving from a user a request for planning a route;

devising a planned route in response to the request;

suggesting one or more points of interest based at least on the user location information, the set of user preference data associated with the selected user personae, and the locations of the one or more points of interest in relation to the planned route; and

presenting, on the display, a map indicating the user location, the planned route, and one or more indicators indicating locations of the one or more suggested points of interest in relation to the user location;

wherein the one or more indicators are presented in relation to the planned route; and

wherein the map indicates information concerning road conditions.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the first set of user preference data is different than the second set of user preference data.

26. The method of claim 25, the user preference data being user-selected preferences in a plurality of categories, each user-selected preference being a type of good or service within the category.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the categories comprise two or more of music, entertainment, shopping, recreation, sports, restaurants and services.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the one or more points of interest comprise facility or event.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the first user persona relates to personal activities of a user.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the second user persona relates to business activities of a user.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the map indicates information concerning traffic conditions.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the map indicates information concerning weather conditions.

33. The method of claim 28 wherein the map is organized according to GPS coordinates.