Method and system for receiving and sending navigational data via a wireless messaging service on a navigation system

• US 7,646,296 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2007
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ohki, Eric Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Phung
• Application Number:
  US11/758,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20080036586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 952 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.13, 340/990, 340/995.1, 340/995.17, 340/426.19, 455/569.2, 455/569.1, 701/211, 701/213
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096872 where instructions are given per voice
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096894 where input is assisted by the navigation device, i.e. the user does not type the complete name of the destination, e.g. using zip codes, telephone numbers, progressively selecting from initial letters
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map

Abstract

A system and method are provided for receiving navigational data via a wireless messaging service on a navigation system. The system and method provides a way to send requests for destination information via the wireless messaging service and capture navigational data from the responsive message received, such as addresses, telephone numbers, or email addresses, and then utilize that data for navigational routing, generation of telephone calls, emailing and the like, from the vehicle'"'"'s navigation system. A wireless device can be paired with the navigation system over a Bluetooth communication link, wherein the navigation system periodically polls the wireless device for newly received messages. In one embodiment, the NAVI displays icons on a map that correspond to the extracted addresses from the messages received in relation to the vehicle'"'"'s current location. The icons can be shown in a plurality of visual formats to distinguish previously viewed locations from newly received ones.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a travel route, comprising:

determining a current location of a vehicle;

receiving at least one Short Message Service (SMS) message from a wireless communication device when a vehicle ignition is turned on, the at least one received SMS message comprising a received address;

calculating the travel route based at least in part on the current location and the received address;

accessing any previously-stored addresses in a memory when the vehicle ignition is turned on; and

displaying the travel route and an icon corresponding to the received address on a display screen, the icon being displayed in a first visual format when the received address matches one of the previously-stored addresses, the icon being displayed in a second visual format when the received address is different from the previously-stored addresses.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying at least one additional icon corresponding to at least one of the previously-stored addresses on the display screen.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein displaying the at least one additional icon comprises displaying the at least one additional icon in the first visual format.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the icon in the first visual format comprises displaying the icon with at least one of a first color and a first shape.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the icon in the second visual format comprises displaying the icon with at least one of a second color and a second shape.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the SMS message from a wireless communication device comprises retrieving the SMS message from a mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the SMS message from a wireless communication device comprises retrieving the SMS message from a hands free telephone.

8. In a vehicle navigation system, a method for displaying information in a Short Message Service (SMS) message, comprising:

receiving the SMS message when a vehicle ignition is turned on, the SMS message comprising a received address;

accessing any previously-stored addresses in a memory when the vehicle ignition is turned on, the previously-stored addresses being in an onboard format;

converting the received address to the onboard format; and

displaying an icon corresponding to the received address on a display screen, the icon being displayed in a first visual format when the received address matches one of the previously-stored addresses, the icon being displayed in a second visual format when the received address is different from the previously-stored addresses.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising displaying at least one additional icon corresponding to at least one of the previously-stored addresses on the display screen.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein displaying the at least one additional icon comprises displaying the at least one additional icon in the first visual format.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining a current location of the vehicle navigation system.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising calculating a travel route based at least in part on the current location and the received address.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising displaying the travel route on the display screen.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein displaying the icon in the first visual format comprises displaying the icon with at least one of a first color and a first shape.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein displaying the icon in the second visual format comprises displaying the icon with at least one of a second color and a second shape.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving the SMS message comprises receiving the SMS message from a mobile device.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving the SMS message comprises receiving the SMS message from a hands free telephone.

18. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving the SMS message comprises receiving the SMS message from an SMS service provider.

19. The method of claim 8, further comprising displaying a phone number on the display screen when the SMS message further comprises the phone number, the phone number being displayed in a first color when the phone number matches one of previously-stored phone numbers in the memory, the phone number being displayed in a second color when the phone number is different from the previously-stored phone numbers.

20. The method of claim 8, further comprising sending a preset reply message to a source of the received SMS message when the SMS message is a personal message.

21. A vehicle navigation system, comprising:

a receiver for receiving Short Message Service (SMS) messages;

a display unit;

a processor operatively coupled to the receiver and the display unit; and

a memory operatively coupled to the processor, the memory comprising executable code for the processor to;

determine a current location of the navigation system;

instruct the receiver to receive the SMS messages when a vehicle ignition is turned on, at least one of the received SMS messages comprising a received address;

calculate a travel route based at least in part on the current location and the received address;

access any previously-stored addresses when the vehicle ignition is turned on; and

instruct the display unit to display the travel route and an icon corresponding to the received address, wherein the icon is displayed in a first visual format when the received address matches one of the previously-stored addresses, and wherein the icon is displayed in a second visual format when the received address is different from the previously-stored addresses.

22. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein the display unit displays at least one additional icon corresponding to at least one of the previously-stored addresses.

23. The system as recited in claim 22, wherein the display unit displays the at least one additional icon in the first visual format.

24. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein the receiver receives the SMS message from a mobile phone.

25. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein the receiver receives the SMS message from a hands free telephone.

26. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein the receiver receives the SMS message from an SMS service provider.

27. A vehicle navigation system, comprising:

a receiver for receiving Short Message Service (SMS) messages;

a display unit;

a processor operatively coupled to the receiver and the display unit; and

a memory operatively coupled to the processor, the memory comprising executable code for the processor to;

instruct the receiver to receive the SMS messages when a vehicle ignition is turned on, at least one of the SMS messages comprising a received address;

access any previously-stored addresses when the vehicle ignition is turned on, the previously-stored addresses being in an onboard format;

convert the received address to the onboard format; and

instruct the display unit to display an icon corresponding to the received address, wherein the icon is displayed in a first visual format when the received address matches one of the previously-stored addresses, and wherein the icon is displayed in a second visual format when the received address is different from the previously-stored addresses.

28. The system as recited in claim 27, wherein the display unit displays at least one additional icon corresponding to at least one of the previously-stored addresses.

29. The system as recited in claim 28, wherein the display unit displays the at least one additional icon in the first visual format.

30. The system as recited in claim 27, wherein the receiver receives the SMS message from a mobile phone.

31. The system as recited in claim 27, wherein the receiver receives the SMS message from a hands free telephone.

32. The system as recited in claim 27, wherein the receiver receives the SMS message from an SMS service provider.

33. The system as recited in claim 27, wherein the memory further comprises executable code for the processor to determine a current location of the vehicle navigation system.

34. The system as recited in claim 33, wherein the memory further comprises executable code for the processor to calculate a travel route based at least in part on the current location and the received address.

35. The system as recited in claim 34, wherein the display unit displays the travel route.

36. The system as recited in claim 27, wherein the memory further comprises executable code for the processor to instruct the display unit to display a phone number on the display screen when the SMS message further comprises the phone number, wherein the phone number is displayed in a first color when the phone number matches one of previously-stored phone numbers in the memory, and wherein the phone number is displayed in a second color when the phone number is different from the previously-stored phone numbers.

37. The system as recited in claim 27, wherein the memory further comprises executable code for the processor to send preset reply messages to sources of any received SMS messages that are personal messages.