Method and system for guiding a person to a location

• US 10,051,411 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2015
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: American Vehicular Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: American Vehicular Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Inventors: Breed, David S
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US14/931,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20160054140A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3423 Multimodal routing, i.e. combining two or more modes of transportation, where the modes can be any of, e.g. driving, walking, cycling, public transport
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3611 using character input or menus, e.g. menus of POIs character input methods in general G06F3/0233
• 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 21/3694 Output thereof on a road map
• 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: G08G 1/0967 Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services

Abstract

Method and system for guiding a person to a location includes providing a processor, coupling an operator control such as a user interface to the processor to enable the person to enter a phone number which is provided to the processor, the processor being arranged to determine a physical location associated with the entered phone number, and guiding the person to the physical location associated with the entered phone number as determined by the processor. The method may be implemented in a vehicle context whereby the processor is arranged on a vehicle and the person is guided to the physical location by controlling a steering system, a throttle and/or brakes of the vehicle to automatically guide the vehicle to the physical location. Alternatively, the person may be guided to the physical location by providing audible and/or visual directions to the person operating the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for guiding a person to a location, comprising:

providing a processor;

coupling an operator control to the processor to enable the person to enter a cell phone number which is provided to the processor, the processor being arranged to determine a physical location associated with the entered cell phone number;

guiding the person to the physical location associated with the entered cell phone number as determined by the processor;

wirelessly receiving map information, traffic conditions, and weather conditions while traveling to the physical location associated with the entered cell phone number; and

coupling a display to the processor to enable map information, traffic conditions, and weather conditions to be displayed, wherein the map information comprises speed limit information that changes depending on a time of day.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the operator control is part of a vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the operator control and the processor are part of a vehicle.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the operator control is part of a hand-held device.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the operator control and the processor are part of a hand-held device.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the physical location is determined by a satellite-based positioning system.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the physical location is determined by one or more of a satellite-based positioning system and a land-based positioning system.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the operator control is configured to provide a map that guides the person to the physical location.

9. A system, comprising:

one or more processors;

one or both of a wireless transceiver and a wireless receiver operatively coupled to the one or more processors; and

a user interface configured to receive a cell phone number that is provided to the one or more processors,

wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine a location associated with the cell phone number, and the one or more processors and the user interface are configured to provide guidance to the location associated with the cell phone number,

wherein the one or both of the wireless transceiver and the wireless receiver are configured to wirelessly receive map information, traffic conditions, and weather conditions while traveling to the location associated with the cell phone number, and

wherein the user interface comprises a display that is configured to display map information, traffic conditions, and weather conditions, and the map information comprises speed limit information that changes depending on a time of day.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the user interface is part of a vehicle.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the user interface and at least one of the one or more processors are part of a vehicle.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein the user interface is part of a hand-held device.

13. The system according to claim 9, wherein the user interface and at least one of the one or more processors are part of a hand-held device.

14. The system according to claim 9, wherein the physical location is determined by a satellite-based positioning system.

15. The system according to claim 9, wherein the physical location is determined by one or more of a satellite-based positioning system and a land-based positioning system.

16. The system according to claim 9, wherein the user interface is configured to display a map that guides the person to the physical location.

17. The system according to claim 9, wherein the one or more processors cause a vehicle to autonomously drive to the location associated with the cell phone number.

18. The system according to claim 9, wherein the display is configured to display road signs as part of the map information.

19. The system according to claim 9, wherein the one or more processors and the user interface are configured to provide walking guidance to the location associated with the cell phone number.

20. The system according to claim 9, wherein the one or more processors and the user interface are configured to provide walking guidance and driving guidance to the location associated with the cell phone number.