METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR FACILITATING A NAVIGATION OF A FACILITY

• US 20130239037A1
• Filed: 03/05/2013
• Published: 09/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hendricks Investment Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Hendricks Investment Holdings LLC
• Inventors: HASENEI, Stephen Ignatius
• Granted Patent: US 9,772,745 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing a navigational tool usable on a web platform or on a smart device platform, where a user may interactively navigate a given facility and obtain desired information faster and more efficiently than via conventional applications that do not offer interactivity. One or more hot spots are provided on an image of the facility, and when a selection of one of the hot spots is received from the user, other hot spots, text, images and videos are provided to the user, wherein the hot spots are embedded in a displayed image of the facility, each hot sport corresponding to a specific portion of the facility, and a selection of a hot spot by the user provides the user with at least one of menus, text, images and videos related to the portion of the facility to which the hot spot corresponds.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating navigation of a facility to a user of a smart device comprising:

providing one or more selectable areas on an image of the facility displayed on a screen of the smart device;

receiving a selection of one of the selectable areas from the user; and

providing at least one of lower-level selectable areas, text, images and videos to the user as a result of the selection;

wherein the one or more selectable areas, lower-level selectable areas, text, images and videos provide sufficient information to facilitate the navigation of the facility by the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more selectable areas and the one or more lower-level selectable areas comprise at least one of menu items and hot spots.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the hot spots are embedded in a displayed image of the facility, each hot sport corresponding to a specific portion of the facility; and

a selection of a hot spot by the user provides the user with at least one of menus, text, images and videos related to the portion of the facility to which the hot spot corresponds.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the selection of one of the selectable areas from the user is achieved via the display screen of the smart device.

5. A system for facilitating navigation of a facility on a smart device, the system comprising:

means for providing one or more selectable areas on an image of the facility displayed on a screen of the smart device;

means for receiving a selection of one of the selectable areas from the user; and

means for providing at least one of lower-level selectable areas, text, images and videos to the user as a result of the selection;

wherein the one or more selectable areas, lower-level selectable areas, text, images and videos provide sufficient information to facilitate the navigation of the facility by the user.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein:

the one or more selectable areas and the one or more lower-level selectable areas comprise at least one of menu items and hot spots;

the hot spots are embedded in a displayed image of the facility, each hot sport corresponding to a specific portion of the facility; and

a selection of a hot spot by the user provides the user with at least one of menus, text, images and videos related to the portion of the facility to which the hot spot corresponds.

7. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having control logic stored therein for causing a computer to facilitate navigation of a facility on a smart device, the control logic comprising:

computer readable program code means for providing one or more selectable areas on an image of the facility displayed on a screen of the smart device;

computer readable program code means for receiving a selection of one of the selectable areas from the user; and

computer readable program code means for providing at least one of lower-level selectable areas, text, images and videos to the user as a result of the selection;

wherein the one or more selectable areas, lower-level selectable areas, text, images and videos provide sufficient information to facilitate the navigation of the facility by the user.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein:

the one or more selectable areas and the one or more lower-level selectable areas comprise at least one of menu items and hot spots;

the hot spots are embedded in a displayed image of the facility, each hot sport corresponding to a specific portion of the facility; and

a selection of a hot spot by the user provides the user with at least one of menus, text, images and videos related to the portion of the facility to which the hot spot corresponds.

9. A system for facilitating navigation of a facility on a smart device, the system comprising:

a terminal;

a user interface functioning via the terminal; and

a repository accessible via a processor using the terminal;

wherein the terminal is configured to provide;

one or more selectable areas are provided on an image of the facility displayed on a screen of the smart device;

a selection option for at least of one of the selectable areas for the user to select via the screen of the smart device; and

at least one of lower-level selectable areas, text, images and videos to be displayed to the user as a result of the selection;

wherein the one or more selectable areas, lower-level selectable areas, text, images and videos provide sufficient information to facilitate the navigation of the facility by the user.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the one or more selectable areas and the one or more lower-level selectable areas comprise at least one of menu items and hot spots;

the hot spots are embedded in a displayed image of the facility, each hot sport corresponding to a specific portion of the facility; and

a selection of a hot spot by the user provides the user with at least one of menus, text, images and videos related to the portion of the facility to which the hot spot corresponds.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the terminal is selected from a group consisting of a personal computer, a minicomputer, a main frame computer, a microcomputer, a hand held device, and a telephonic device.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the processor is housed on a server selected from a group consisting of a personal computer, a minicomputer, a microcomputer, and a main frame computer; and

the server is coupled to a network via a coupling selected from a group consisting of a wired connection, a wireless connection, and a fiberoptic connection.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the repository is housed on the server.