Determining a Geographical Location

• US 20110165890A1
• Filed: 10/28/2010
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Jenson, Scott, Ho, Casey, Lebeau, Michael J., Nanavati, Sharvil A., Dzierson, Will, Mavinkurve, Sanjay, Morrison, Jerry, Gilbert, Fred
• Granted Patent: US 8,744,495 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/265 constructional aspects of navigation devices, e.g. housings, mountings, displays G01C21/3688 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3608 using speech input, e.g. using speech recognition
• 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 21/3661 Guidance output on an external device, e.g. car radio
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/329 by task scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/444 Spatial browsing, e.g. 2D maps, 3D or virtual spaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/638 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 : with voice recognition means voice activated dialling H04M1/271; voice recognition algorithms G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 : Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

In general, the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods systems, and program products for determining a change in a mode of transportation. A change in a mode of transportation of the mobile computing device may be determined by determining that a speed of the mobile computing device has changed. A first geographical location is stored as a geographical location of the mobile computing device that corresponds to the change in mode of transportation. A graphical indication of the first geographical location is displayed. The graphical indication of the first geographical location is different than graphical indications for one or more other geographical locations of the mobile computing device at one or more other times. The one or more other geographical locations were not determined to correspond to a change in mode of transportation.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for determining a change in a mode of transportation, the method comprising:

determining with a mobile computing device a change in a mode of transportation of the mobile computing device by determining that a speed of the mobile computing device has changed;

storing, as a first geographical location and in response to said determining that the speed of the mobile computing device has changed, a geographical location of the mobile computing device that corresponds to the change in mode of transportation; and

displaying a graphical indication of the first geographical location, wherein the graphical indication of the first geographical location is different than graphical indications for one or more other geographical locations of the mobile computing device at one or more other times, wherein the one or more other geographical locations were not determined to correspond to a change in mode of transportation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining that the speed of the mobile computing device has changed is performed by determining that an average speed of the mobile computing device has fallen below a first threshold speed.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the average speed is an average over at least three geographical locations of the mobile computing device as determined by the mobile computing device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the average speed of the mobile computing device is a moving average of at least three recent speeds of the mobile computing device.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said determining that the speed of the mobile computing device has changed is further performed by identifying, as the first geographical location, a geographical location of the mobile computing device that falls below a second threshold.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first threshold is matches the second threshold.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the second threshold is less than the first threshold.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second threshold is less than 2 miles per hour and the first threshold is greater than 3 miles per hour.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining a change in the mode of transportation of the mobile computing device is further performed, at least in part, by determining that an auxiliary audio device has disconnected from the mobile computing device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining a change in the mode of transportation of the mobile computing device is further performed, at least in part, by determining that an auxiliary audio device has connected to the mobile computing device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining a change in the mode of transportation of the mobile computing device is further performed, at least in part, by determining that a trajectory of the mobile computing device has changed more than ninety degrees at the first geographical location.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining a change in the mode of transportation of the mobile computing device is further performed, at least in part, by determining that a geographical location of the mobile computing device has departed from a known transportation route.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining a change in the mode of transportation of the mobile computing device is further performed, at least in part, by determining that the mobile computing device has departed from all transportation routes that are known to a computing system.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining a change in the mode of transportation of the mobile computing device is further performed, at least in part, based on the first geographical location being geographically near one or more second geographical locations, the one or more second geographical locations being geographical locations at which a change in a mode of transportation of the mobile computing device has previously been previously determined.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining a change in the mode of transportation of the mobile computing device is further performed, at least in part, based on the first geographical location being geographically near one or more second geographical locations, the one or more second geographical locations being geographical locations at which a change in a mode of transportation of other mobile computing devices has previously been previously determined.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a change in the mode of transportation of the mobile computing device is further performed, at least in part, based on determining that the mobile computing device has vertically ascended or descended within a defined area.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a change in the mode of transportation of the mobile computing device is further performed, at least in part, based on determining that the mobile computing device has changed from a first repeating state of motion that has first repeating characteristics to a second repeating state of motion that has second repeating characteristics, wherein the first and second repeating characteristics are different.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining a change in the mode of transportation of the mobile computing device is further performed, at least in part, based on determining that the mobile computing device has been physically removed from a dock in which the mobile computing device had been physically paired.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein determining that the mobile computing device has been physically removed from the dock includes determining that a source of electrical power for charging a rechargeable energy source on the mobile computing device has been interrupted.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein determining that the mobile computing device has been physically removed from the dock includes determining that a data communication over a physical electrical connection between the dock and the mobile computing device has been interrupted.

21. A computer-readable storage device storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processing devices, perform operations comprising:

determining by a mobile computing device a change in a mode of transportation of the mobile computing device by determining that a speed of the mobile computing device has changed;

storing, as a first geographical location and in response to said determining that the speed of the mobile computing device has changed, a geographical location of the mobile computing device that corresponds to the change in mode of transportation; and

displaying a graphical indication of the first geographical location, wherein the graphical indication of the first geographical location is different than graphical indications for one or more other geographical locations of the mobile computing device at one or more other times, wherein the one or more other geographical locations were not determined to correspond to a change in mode of transportation.

22. A computer-implemented method for determining a change in a mode of transportation, the method comprising:

determining by a mobile computing device a change in a mode of transportation of the mobile computing device by determining that the mobile computing device has been physically removed from a dock in which the mobile computing device had been physically paired;

storing for the mobile computing device, as a first geographical location, a geographical location of the mobile computing device that corresponds to the change in mode of transportation; and

displaying a graphical indication of the first geographical location.

23. A computer-implemented system comprising:

a location identifier that is programmed to determine a plurality of geographical locations of a mobile computing device at a plurality of respective times;

a location repository that stores the plurality of geographical locations in association with the plurality of respective times;

a speed determiner that is programmed to determine a plurality of speeds of the mobile computing device based on the plurality of geographical locations and the plurality of respective times;

a transportation mode determiner that is programmed to determine a particular geographical location at which the mobile computing device switched from a first transportation mode to a second transportation mode based on a change in speed of the mobile computing device; and

a location displayer that is programmed to display a visual indication of the particular geographical location.