Enhanced weather and traffic information from mobile communication devices

• US 6,389,290 B1
• Filed: 07/03/2000
• Issued: 05/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lextron Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lextron Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: DeGolia, Rick, Kikinis, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Simon
• Application Number:
  US09/609,629
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456, 455/457, 455/414, 455/422, 455/517, 455/524, 455/425, 455/186.2, 340/905, 701/208, 701/209, 701/211, 701/213, 701/200, 701/201, 701/207
• US Class Current: 455/456.5
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A network based information system has a server or other source management system connected to the network and to an information database, and a portable communication device enabled to access the server on the network by keypad entry, and to indicate geographic position upon access. The system is characterized in that the keypad is graphically mapped for direction, and the server, in response to a call placed from the portable communication device, including keypad input indicating direction, accesses the database for information associated with the geographic position and the direction, and transmits that information to the portable communication device. Other criteria, such as distance and information type may also be mapped and used in retrieving information. In the case of voice-capable devices, information is rendered as speech to be transmitted to the communication device.

Claims

1. A subscription information system, comprising:

a cellular telephone operating through a wireless cellular service to a public service telephone network (PSTN);

an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Server with a dedicated access number connected to the PSTN and recognizing a limited number of preprogrammed information types; and

an information server connected to the IVR, the information server storing and updating information pertaining to the limited number of information types according to geographic location;

characterized in that the cellular service receives with an incoming call an indication of the telephone'"'"'s geographic location, recognizes a first portion of an input dialing string to connect an incoming call to the IVR, sending the location along with the call, and the IVR recognizes a second portion of the dialing string to select among the limited number of information types, and a third portion of the dialing string to recognize direction and distance from the telephones position, calculating a new position, sending the new position to the information server with the information type, and the information server provides information according to the information type for the new position to the IVR, which provides the information to the telephone through the cellular service.

2. The information system of claim 1 wherein the information server is an Internet server, and the IVR is Internet-connected, communicating with the information server over the Internet.

3. The information system of claim 1 wherein the preprogrammed information types are traffic information and weather information.

4. The information system of claim 1 wherein the information provided by the information server is analog voice format.

5. The information system of claim 1 wherein the information provided by the information server is converted at the IVR to analog voice format for transmission to the cellular service.

6. The information system of claim 1 wherein the keyboard of the cellular telephone is mapped to facilitate input of the second and third portions of the dialing string.

7. A method for providing location-based information to users of cellular telephones operating through a cellular service, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a dialing string and an indication of location from an individual one of the cellular telephones;

(b) recognizing by the cellular service a first portion of the input dialing string to connect an incoming call to the IVR;

(c) recognizing by the IVR a second portion of the input dialing string to select among a limited number of preprogrammed information types, and a third portion of the input dialing string to indicate a direction and distance, calculating therefrom a new location;

(d) providing the information type and new location to the information server; and

(e) selecting information by the information server for provision to the IVR, and back to the cellular telephone, according to the information type and the new position.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the information server is an Internet server, and the IVR is Internet-connected, communicating with the information server over the Internet.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the preprogrammed information types are traffic information and weather information.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the information provided by the information server is analog voice format.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the information provided by the information server is converted at the IVR to analog voice format for transmission to the cellular service.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the keyboard of the cellular telephone is mapped to facilitate input of the second and third portions of the dialing string.