GPS NAVIGATION AND CELLULAR ROUTE PLANNING DEVICE

• US 20120143499A1
• Filed: 12/01/2010
• Published: 06/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sean Petersen
• Original Assignee: Sean Petersen
• Inventors: Petersen, Sean
• Granted Patent: US 8,676,502 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/450
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 with correlation of data from several navigational instruments
• 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

Abstract

A navigation device for navigating from one location to another includes a GPS receiver for receiving GPS signals, a cellular receiver for receiving cellular signals, a memory, a processor, a display unit and a connection unit for receiving navigation data. The navigation data includes geographic and cellular provider information pertaining to the locations where cellular coverage is available by a particular provider. This information is processed by the processor to display route instructions to a user in which cellular coverage will be maintained.

Claims

1. A navigation and cellular route planning device, comprising:

a GPS receiver for receiving GPS signals;

a cellular receiver for receiving real time cellular signals;

a connection unit configured to receive navigation data, said navigation data including geographic and cellular provider information;

a memory configured to store the navigation data;

a processor connected with each of said GPS receiver, cellular receiver, connection unit and memory, said processor configured to process the navigation data, GPS and cellular signals; and

a display connected to the processor, said display being configured to display the navigation data, GPS signals and cellular signals.

2. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein cellular provider information includes at least one cellular coverage map, said cellular coverage map indicating the presence or absence of cellular telephone coverage in a particular location.

3. The navigation device of claim 2, wherein the display is configured to display the cellular provider information alone or in combination with geographic information.

4. The navigation device of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to generate travel instructions based on the cellular information stored in the memory.

5. The navigation device of claim 4, wherein the display is configured to provide a user option for instructing the processor to generate travel instructions based on the cellular information stored in the memory.

6. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein cellular signals include at least one of a cellular provider, cellular network information, cellular signal strength and cellular network type.

7. The navigation device of claim 6, wherein the display is configured to display the cellular signals alone or in combination with geographic information.

8. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to identify a delta, said delta indicating a discrepancy between the cellular provider information and the real time cellular signal.

9. The navigation device of claim 8, wherein the memory is configured to store the delta.

10. The navigation device of claim 9, wherein the connection unit is configured to send the delta to an external device.

11. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the device is a stand alone portable unit.

12. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the device is incorporated into a vehicle as a single unit.

13. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the device is incorporated into a vehicle as multiple modules that are communicatively linked.

14. A navigation and cellular route planning device, comprising:

means for receiving GPS signals;

means for receiving real time cellular signals;

means for sending and receiving navigation data, said navigation data including geographic and cellular provider information;

means for storing the navigation data;

means for processing the navigation data, GPS and cellular signals; and

means for displaying the navigation data, GPS signals and cellular signals.

15. A method for generating travel instructions based on cellular provider information, said method including:

receiving navigation data, said navigation data including geographic and cellular provider information;

storing the navigation data within a memory;

determining a current location;

receiving a destination location;

identifying the destination location within the geographic information stored in the memory;

generating initial travel instructions based on the determining and identifying;

identifying any portions of the initial travel instructions that do not have cellular coverage, based on the cellular provider information stored in the memory;

saving the initial travel instructions up to a first portion identified as not having cellular coverage;

generating additional travel instructions from the first identified portion to the destination until all travel instructions are identified as having cellular coverage; and

displaying a final travel instructions on the display, said final travel instructions including the initial travel instructions and the additional travel instructions.