Providing guiding service by means of a wireless terminal

• US 7,412,327 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2006
• Issued: 08/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kauvo, Kimmo Esa-Tapio, Kivento, Teppo Tapani, Koskinen, Harri Sakari
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUD, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US11/606,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20070150184A1
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/207, 701/208, 701/209, 701/211, 701/201, 701/210, 340/988, 340/989, 340/995.12, 340/995.24, 342/357.01, 342/357.09
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3632 Guidance using simplified or iconic instructions, e.g. using arrows G01C21/365 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3644 Landmark guidance, e.g. using POIs or conspicuous other objects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams
• 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 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

The invention relates to a guiding system for wireless terminals. In the system, position-specific information of route points of the route on which a first wireless terminal travels is determined and it is sent to a guiding server. Supplementary data used for guiding the route are stored in the first terminal in response to a request of the user. The supplementary data are associated with the position information, and the guiding server compiles and stores route information comprising position information and supplementary data. The route information is transmitted from the guiding server to at least one wireless terminal in response to the route request. The position of the terminal is determined and the received route information is presented in the terminal so that supplementary data are presented when the terminal is in places with which the supplementary data are associated.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

specifying or receiving a route identifier for identifying a route of multiple route points determined on the basis of position information of a mobile device, and

transmitting the route identifier to a wireless terminal associating route points with supplementary data, or to a wireless terminal for route selection and request by the wireless terminal.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method is applied in a wireless terminal configured to define route points and supplementary data for route points, and the wireless terminal transmits the route identifier to identify a particular route for another wireless terminal to be guided.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method is applied by a guiding server configured to select route information according to the route identifier indicated in a request received from the wireless terminal.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the route identifier is transmitted to the wireless terminal in a delivery message.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a route description is transmitted to the wireless terminal.

6. A communications device comprising memory, a processing unit and a transmission unit, wherein the communications device is configured to specify or receive a route identifier for identifying a route of multiple route points determined on he basis of position information of a mobile device, and

the communications device is configured to transmit the route identifier to a wireless terminal associating route points with supplementary data, or to a wireless terminal for route selection and request by the wireless terminal.

7. A communications device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the communications device is a wireless terminal configured to define route points and supplementary data for route points, and

the communications device is configured to transmit the route identifier to identify a particular route for another wireless terminal to be guided.

8. A communications device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the communications device is a guiding server configured to select route information according to the route identifier indicated in a request received from the wireless terminal.

9. A communications device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the communications device is configured to transmit the route identifier to the wireless terminal in a delivery message.

10. A communications device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the communications device is further configured to transmit route description to the wireless terminal.

11. A communications device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the communications device is a guiding server configured to compile and store route information, which route information is identified by the route identifier and it comprises at least a route formed by position information of the terminal and position-specific supplementary data received from the terminal.

12. A method comprising:

receiving a route identifier for identifying a route of multiple route points determined on the basis of position information of a mobile device, route information of the route comprising route point information and position-specific supplementary data, and

controlling a route and defining route points and supplementary data for route points for the route on the basis of the received route identifier, or

selecting a desired route on the basis of the received route identifier.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the route identifier is received from a second wireless terminal.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein a route description is received from the second wireless terminal.

15. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein a route request including the received route identifier is specified and transmitted.

16. A wireless communications device comprising memory, a processing unit and a receiver for wireless data reception, wherein the wireless communications device is configured to receive a route identifier for identifying a route of multiple route points determined on the basis of position information of a mobile device, route information of the route comprising route point information and position-specific supplementary data, and

the wireless communications device is configured to control a route and to define route points and supplementary data for route points for the route on the basis of the received route identifier, or

the wireless communications device is configured to select a desired route based on the received route identifier.

17. A wireless communications device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the wireless communications device is configured to receive the route identifier from a second wireless terminal.

18. A wireless communications device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the wireless communications device is configured to receive route description from the second wireless terminal.

19. A wireless communications device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the wireless communications device is configured to specify and transmit a route request including the received route identifier.

20. A wireless terminal comprising a control unit and memory for storing computer program code for controlling the control unit, wherein

the wireless terminal is configured to determine its position information,

the wireless terminal is configured to store supplementary data,

the wireless terminal is configured to associate the supplementary data with the position information of one or more route points, and

the wireless terminal is configured to transmit position-specific supplementary data and position information to a server.

21. A wireless terminal as claimed in claim 20, wherein the supplementary data comprise at least one of the following:

stored picture information on the environment, recorded speech information of the user or a text sequence entered by the user.

22. A wireless terminal as claimed in claim 20, wherein the wireless terminal is configured to transmit the position-specific supplementary data and the position information to the guiding server only after all route points a user needs have been determined.

23. A wireless terminal as claimed in claim 20, wherein the wireless terminal is configured to associate a time stamp with the position information.

24. A wireless terminal as claimed in claim 20, wherein the wireless terminal further comprises an imaging unit for capturing an image of the environment, wherein

the wireless terminal is configured to store a captured image in said supplementary data,

the wireless terminal is configured to determine heading information of the wireless terminal at the moment the image is taken, and

the wireless terminal is configured to associate the heading information with the image.

25. A wireless terminal as claimed in claim 20, wherein the wireless terminal is configured to communicate with the server to modify or add information related to a route point stored by the server after the transmission of the position-specific supplementary data and position information.

26. A wireless terminal as claimed in claim 20, wherein the wireless terminal is configured to define route point information until a target route point specified by a user of the terminal is reached.

27. A wireless terminal as claimed in claim 20, wherein the wireless terminal is configured to define an end of route indicator in a route information data element to the server for indicating end of the route.

28. A wireless terminal as claimed in claim 20, wherein the wireless terminal is configured to transmit position-specific supplementary data and position information to the server by utilizing a messaging service for multimedia message transfer over a packet-switched data transmission service.

29. A computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium, said computer program comprising program code for causing a wireless terminal to:

determine its position information,

store supplementary data,

associate the supplementary data with the position information of one or more route points, and

transmit position-specific supplementary data and position information to a guiding server.

30. A computer program as claimed in claim 29, the computer program comprising program code for causing the wireless terminal to associate a time stamp with the position information.