Methods and apparatus for telephoning a destination in vehicle navigation

• US 6,735,516 B1
• Filed: 09/06/2000
• Issued: 05/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TomTom Navigation B.V (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: Horizon Navigation, Inc.
• Inventors: Manson, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TO, TUAN C
• Application Number:
  US09/656,552
• Time in Patent Office: 1,343 Days
• Field of Search: 701/209, 701/210, 701/208, 701/201, 701/207, 701/212, 701/211, 340/995.1, 340/988, 340/990, 340/994, 340/991, 340/905, 359/142, 369/50, 455/435, 455/456.1, 455/460
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241

Abstract

The present invention provides a computer implemented method for dialing a telephone number using a vehicle navigation system in the following manner. A destination is retrieved in response to selection of the destination by the user. A determination is then made if there is a phone number associated with the destination. Where there is a phone number associated with the destination, a phone number is transmitted to a wireless communications device for dialing.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for dialing a telephone number using a vehicle navigation system, the method comprising:

retrieving a destination in response to selection of the destination by a user;

determining if there is a phone number associated with the destination by querying an address book associated with the user; and

where there is a phone number associated with the destination, transmitting the phone number to a wireless communications device for dialing.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, where there is a phone number associated with the destination, communicating an option for dialing the phone number to the user, transmitting the phone number to the wireless communications device occurring in response to selection of the option by the user.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the phone number to the wireless communications device occurs automatically after the phone number associated with the destination is found.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the destination is selected by the user for generation of a route to the destination.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the destination is selected by the user for dialing the phone number.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the destination comprises a point of interest.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the destination comprises an address.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising, where there is a plurality of phone numbers associated with the destination, communicating a second option to the user for selecting the phone number from the plurality of phone numbers.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein communicating an option for dialing the phone number comprises providing a soft key option on a display device associated with the vehicle navigation system.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein communicating an option for dialing the phone number comprises presenting a message to the user using an output communicator.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein presenting the message comprises playing an audio message on a speaker associated with the vehicle navigation system.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein presenting the message comprises displaying a text message on a display associated with the vehicle navigation system.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the phone number occurs in response to activation of a soft key.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the phone number occurs in response to a voice command.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless communications device is integral to the vehicle navigation system.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless communications device is separate from the vehicle navigation system.

18. A computer readable medium comprising computer program instructions for causing a computer to perform the method of claim 1.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein the address book is located within a personal digital assistant.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein the address book comprises non-volatile memory in the form of one of flash memory, SRAM, compact flash cards, and CD-ROM memory.

4. A computer implemented method for dialing a telephone number using a vehicle navigation system, the method comprising:

retrieving a destination in response to selection of the destination by a user wherein the destination is stored in an address book associated with the user determining if there is a phone number associated with the destination in the address book; and

where there is a phone number associated with the destination, transmitting the phone number to a wireless communications device for dialing.

19. An apparatus for dialing a telephone number comprising:

means for retrieving a destination in response to selection of the destination by a user;

means for determining if there is a phone number associated with the destination by querying an address book associated with the user; and

means for transmitting the phone number to a wireless communications device for dialing where there is a phone number associated with the destination.

20. A vehicle navigation system comprising:

a plurality of sensors for generating positional data;

a memory for storing a map database;

a wireless device interface for connecting to a wireless communications device; and

a central processing unit configured to;

retrieve a destination in response to selection of the destination by a user;

determine if there is a phone number associated with the destination by querying an address book associated with the user;

transmit the phone number via the wireless device interface to the wireless communications device for dialing where there is a phone number associated with the destination.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the central processing unit is further configured to communicate an option for dialing the phone number to the user and transmits the phone number to the wireless communications device in response to selection of the option by the user.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein the central processing unit automatically transmits the phone number via the wireless device interface to the wireless communications device for dialing after the phone number associated with the destination is found.

23. The system of claim 20 wherein the wireless communications device is integral to the vehicle navigation system.

24. The system of claim 20 wherein the wireless communications device is separate from the vehicle navigation system.