SYSTEM AND METHOD TO DETERMINE, IN A VEHICLE, LOCATIONS OF INTEREST

• US 20080234929A1
• Filed: 03/20/2007
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Watson, David Leslie, Prasad, Krishnaswamy Venkatesh, Giuli, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US11/688,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20080234929A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/00 Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism healthcare informatics G16H

Abstract

An occupant of a vehicle requests locations of interest from a remote provider. Locations of interest are identified based on the current location of the vehicle and a social network of the occupant. The locations of interest are provided to the vehicle via a network.

Claims

1. A method to determine locations of interest for an occupant of a vehicle, the method comprising:

determining a current location of the vehicle;

requesting, from a remote provider, locations of interest within a predefined geographic region based on the current location of the vehicle;

receiving, from the remote provider, at least one location of interest wherein the at least one location of interest has, associated with it, information provided by a member of a social network of the occupant;

ranking the at least one location of interest based on predefined criteria associated with the social network of the occupant; and

presenting the ranked locations of interest to the occupant.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the predefined criteria comprises a social rank of the at least one member of the social network.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the predefined criteria comprises a member rating.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the predefined criteria comprises a number of members associated a location of interest.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the predefined criteria comprises an age of the information.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the information includes a member rating.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the information includes a date.

8. A method to determine locations of interest for an occupant of a vehicle, the method comprising:

determining a current location of the vehicle;

requesting, from a remote provider, locations of interest within a predefined geographic region based on the current location of the vehicle wherein the request includes predefined criteria associated with a social network of the occupant;

receiving, from the remote provider, at least one location of interest ranked according to the predefined criteria wherein the at least one location of interest has, associated with it, information provided by a member of the social network of the occupant; and

presenting the ranked locations of interest to the occupant.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the predefined criteria comprises a social rank of the at least one member of the social network.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the predefined criteria comprises a member rating.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the predefined criteria comprises a number of members associated a location of interest.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the predefined criteria comprises an age of the information.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the information includes a member rating.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the information includes a date.

15. A system to determine locations of interest for an occupant of a vehicle, the system comprising:

a location module configured to determine a current location of the vehicle;

a communication module configured to request, from a remote provider, locations of interest within a predefined geographic region based on the current location of the vehicle and receive, from the remote provider, at least one location of interest wherein the at least one location of interest has, associated with it, information provided by a member of a social network of the occupant; and

a display module configured to present locations of interest to the occupant.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising a processing module to rank the at least one location of interest based on predefined criteria associated with the social network of the occupant.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the predefined criteria comprises a social rank of the at least one member of the social network.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the predefined criteria comprises a member rating.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the predefined criteria comprises a number of members associated a location of interest.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein the predefined criteria comprises an age of the information.