Client in mobile device for sending and receiving navigational coordinates and notifications

• US 20090197617A1
• Filed: 02/05/2008
• Published: 08/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Madhavi Jayanthi
• Original Assignee: Madhavi Jayanthi
• Inventors: Jayanthi, Madhavi
• Granted Patent: US 8,588,814 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3438 Rendez-vous, i.e. searching a destination where several users can meet, and the routes to this destination for these users; Ride sharing, i.e. searching a route such that at least two users can share a vehicle for at least part of the route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services

Abstract

A first mobile device requests a second mobile device to navigate to a destination communicated to the second mobile device by the first mobile device, wherein at least the second mobile device, if not both the first and the second mobile devices, is GPS enabled and is capable of navigation. In one scenario, a first user of the first mobile device requests the second device (or the user of the second device) to send a notification when the second user has reached a certain destination or is in the vicinity of a certain location where the first user and the first mobile device are currently located.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

a global positioning system (GPS) receiver circuitry capable of pinpointing a location and providing directions to a destination;

a client software capable of interacting with the GPS receiver circuitry and activating navigation towards the destination;

the client software receiving a request to navigate to the destination from a second mobile device;

the client software accepting the request;

the client software navigating and providing directions to the destination; and

the client software automatically sending notifications to the second mobile device.

2. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the notifications is at least one of a proximity message, arrival message, failure message and a deferred message.

3. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the mobile device and the second mobile device are handheld navigational devices.

4. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the mobile device and the second mobile device are both GPS enabled cellular phone devices.

5. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the request to navigate is accompanied by a specification of the destination, wherein the specification employs one of a GPS coordinates, a landmark indicator, and an E-OTD based location information.

6. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the notifications comprises at least one of a graphic image, a textual message and an audio message.

7. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the notification is provided by the user, and is at least one of a textual message input by a user, a canned textual message selected by the user, a graphic selected by a user and an audio input recorded by the user.

8. The mobile device of claim 1 further comprising:

the client software receiving and displaying a response provided by the user of the second mobile device as a reply to the notification sent by the client software.

9. A mobile web system, the mobile web system comprising:

a server communicatively coupled to a first mobile device and a second mobile device;

the first mobile device comprising a client software capable of interacting with the server;

the second mobile device comprising the client software capable of interacting with the server;

the client software in the first mobile device communicating a request and a destination information to the server, wherein the destination information is associated with a destination;

the server communicating the request and the destination information to the second mobile device;

the client software in the second mobile device displaying the request and receiving a consent from a user;

the second mobile device navigating the user by providing directions guiding the user to the destination based on the destination information.

10. The mobile web system of claim 9 wherein the client software in the second mobile device automatically sends a notification to the first mobile device when the second mobile device is approaching the destination, after the second mobile device has arrived at the destination, and selectively periodically during the navigation to the destination.

11. The mobile web system of claim 9 wherein the client software in the first and second mobile devices facilitate creation a trip plan comprising a plurality of waypoints and wherein the server facilitates uploading the trip plan for storage and sharing.

12. The mobile web system of claim 11 wherein the trip plan further comprises digital pictures, audio inputs and textual content corresponding to at least one of the plurality of waypoints.

13. The mobile web system of claim 9 wherein the server is communicatively coupled to a plurality of mobile devices, the mobile web system further comprising:

the plurality of mobile devices;

each of the plurality of mobile devices receiving a destination information from the server;

each of the plurality of mobile devices sending a notification to the server after navigating to the destination based on the destination information; and

the server verifying that each of the plurality of mobile devices has successfully reached the destination.

14. The mobile web system of claim 13 wherein the server challenges each of the plurality of mobile devices when it receives a notification, and is response receives a security information and an associated GPS coordinates from each of the plurality of mobile devices.

15. The mobile web system of claim 14 wherein the security information comprises at least one of a digital signature computed and sent, a passcode entered by a corresponding user, a coupon information and a membership identification.

16. A method of communicating between a first mobile device and a second mobile device, the method comprising:

sending navigational coordinates for a destination to the second mobile device from the first mobile device along with a request for a notification;

accepting selectively the request from the first mobile device at the second mobile device and storing the navigational coordinates for the destination;

navigating to the destination employing the navigational coordinates for the destination;

providing a notification to the first mobile device; and

receiving an optional response to the notification from the first mobile device.

17. The method of communicating according to claim 16 wherein the notification takes the form of a textual message, an audio message, a graphic image or some combination of these, and wherein providing the notification comprises at least one of:

offering the notification when the second mobile device is close to the destination within a preset distance from the destination;

transferring the notification after reaching the destination;

conveying the notification periodically while navigating towards the destination.

18. The method of communicating according to claim 16 wherein accepting further comprises:

displaying the request to a user and prompting the user to accept the request;

authenticating selectively the first mobile device or an user of the first mobile device; and

noting the user acceptance of the request and continuing with the storing of the navigational coordinates.

19. The method of communicating according to claim 16 wherein providing the notification comprises:

determining how far the second mobile device is from the first mobile device periodically; and

conveying a message to the first mobile device when the second mobile device is within a default distance or a default time away from the first mobile device; and

transferring the message when the second mobile device has arrived at a location where the first mobile device is also currently located.

20. The method of communicating according to claim 16 wherein sending comprises:

determining, by the first mobile device, the navigational coordinates based on at least one of a latitude, longitude, and height system, earth centered Cartesian coordinates, earth centered earth fixed, earth centered inertial, and east north up;

identifying a reference to the second mobile device, wherein the reference is one of an IP address, a phone number, an account information and a user name;

delivering, by the first mobile device, the navigational coordinates and the reference to the second mobile device, along with the request, to a server communicatively coupled to both the first and second mobile devices; and

conveying the navigational coordinates and the request to the second mobile device by the server.