Technique for effective navigation based on user preferences

• US 20030158655A1
• Filed: 03/06/2003
• Published: 08/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silver State Intellectual Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: American Calcar, Inc.
• Inventors: Obradovich, Michael L., Pirtle, John D., Schebesch, Steven W.
• Granted Patent: US 6,829,532 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/207
• 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. Navigation apparatus comprising:

a memory for storing at least one profile, the at least one profile including preferences;

a device for providing data identifying a location of the apparatus, favorites being determined based on the data and the preferences in the at least one profile;

an interface for receiving a navigation request; and

a processor responsive to the navigation request for providing navigation information which includes information concerning at least one of the favorites.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one profile includes a personal profile which contains preferences relating to personal activities.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one profile includes a business profile which contains preferences relating to business activities.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one profile includes a vacation profile which contains preferences relating to vacation activities.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one profile includes a preset profile which allows for editing.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the favorites concern selected facilities.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the selected facilities include selected restaurants.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the favorites concern selected events.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the navigation information also includes information concerning a navigated route and a geographic relation of the at least one of the favorites to the navigated route.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the data includes global positioning system (GPS) based data.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising a hand-held device.

12. Navigation apparatus comprising:

a device for providing data concerning a location of the apparatus;

an interface for selecting a mode of transportation; and

a processor for providing map related information based on the data and a selected mode of transportation.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the selected mode of transportation includes walking.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the selected mode of transportation includes transportation by vehicle.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the selected mode of transportation includes public transportation.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the map related information includes information concerning traffic conditions.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the map related information includes information concerning road conditions.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the map related information includes information concerning weather conditions.

19. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the map related information is organized according to GPS coordinates.

20. Apparatus for receiving a navigation request comprising:

a memory for storing at least one profile including preferences;

a device for providing data indicating a location of the apparatus,

an interface for providing navigation information, the navigation information including a set of favorites which is identified based on the preferences and the location of the apparatus; and

a processor responsive to the navigation request for determining based on the data whether the location of the apparatus is outside a predetermined range of a current location of the apparatus, the interface providing navigation information which includes a second set of favorites when it is determined that the location of the apparatus is outside the predetermined range of the current location of the apparatus, the second set of favorites being identified based on the preferences and the current location of the apparatus.

21. Navigation apparatus comprising:

a first interface for receiving a request for map related information concerning an area;

a second interface responsive to the request for providing the map related information, the map related information including data concerning at least one of facilities and events in the area, the data being received from an external source; and

a processor for providing an option to avoid receipt of data concerning the at least one of the facilities and events.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the option includes an option to avoid the receipt of the data within a selected period.

23. Navigation apparatus comprising:

a first interface for receiving a request for a route to a destination;

a second interface for defining at least one area to be avoided; and

a processor for planning the route, which avoids the at least one area, the processor causing an output of information concerning the planned route.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein a period during which the at least one area is to be avoided is also defined.

25. A system serving a device for providing navigation information comprising:

a first interface for receiving a request from the device, the request including at least one profile, and data concerning a location of the device, the profile comprising preferences;

a processor responsive to the request for identifying favorites based on the data and the preferences in the at least one profile; and

a second interface for providing the favorites to the device for incorporation of the favorites into the navigation information.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the request is received through a communications network.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the communications network includes an Internet.

28. A method for use in a navigation apparatus, the method comprising:

storing at least one profile, the at least one profile including preferences;

providing data identifying a location of the apparatus;

determining favorites based on the data and the preferences in the at least one profile;

receiving a navigation request; and

in response to the navigation request, providing navigation information which includes information concerning at least one of the favorites.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the at least one profile includes a personal profile which contains preferences relating to personal activities.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein the at least one profile includes a business profile which contains preferences relating to business activities.

31. The method of claim 28 wherein the at least one profile includes a vacation profile which contains preferences relating to vacation activities.

32. The method of claim 28 wherein the at least one profile includes a preset profile which allows for editing.

33. The method of claim 28 wherein the favorites concern selected facilities.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the selected facilities include selected restaurants.

35. The method of claim 28 wherein the favorites concern selected events.

36. The method of claim 28 wherein the navigation information also includes information concerning a navigated route and a geographic relation of the at least one of the favorites to the navigated route.

37. The method of claim 28 wherein the data includes GPS based data.

38. A method for use in a navigation apparatus, the method comprising:

providing data concerning a location of the apparatus;

selecting a mode of transportation; and

providing map related information based on the data and a selected mode of transportation.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein the selected mode of transportation includes walking.

40. The method of claim 38 wherein the selected mode of transportation includes transportation by vehicle.

41. The method of claim 38 wherein the selected mode of transportation includes public transportation.

42. The method of claim 38 wherein the map related information includes information concerning traffic conditions.

43. The method of claim 38 wherein the map related information includes information concerning road conditions.

44. The method of claim 38 wherein the map related information includes information concerning weather conditions.

45. The method of claim 38 wherein the map related information is organized according to GPS coordinates.

46. A method for use in an apparatus for receiving a navigation request, the method comprising:

storing at least one profile including preferences;

providing data indicating a location of the apparatus,

providing navigation information, the navigation information including a set of favorites which is identified based on the preferences and the location of the apparatus;

in responsive to the navigation request, determining based on the data whether the location of the apparatus is outside a predetermined range of a current location of the apparatus; and

providing navigation information which includes a second set of favorites when it is determined that the location of the apparatus is outside the predetermined range of the current location of the apparatus, the second set of favorites being identified based on the preferences and the current location of the apparatus.

47. A method for use in a navigation apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving a request for map related information concerning an area;

in response to the request, providing the map related information, the map related information including data concerning at least one of facilities and events in the area, the data being received from an external source; and

providing an option to avoid receipt of data concerning the at least one of the facilities and events.

48. The method of claim 47 wherein the option includes an option to avoid the receipt of the data within a selected period.

49. A method for use in a navigation apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a route to a destination;

defining at least one area to be avoided; and

planning the route, which avoids the at least one area; and

causing an output of information concerning the planned route.

50. The method of claim 49 wherein a period during which the at least one area is to be avoided is also defined.

51. A method for serving a device for providing navigation information, the method comprising:

receiving a request from the device, the request including at least one profile, and data concerning a location of the device, the profile comprising preferences;

in response to the request, identifying favorites based on the data and the preferences in the at least one profile; and

providing the favorites to the device for incorporation of the favorites into the navigation information.

52. The method of claim 51 wherein the request is received through a communications network.

53. The method of claim 52 wherein the communications network includes an Internet.