Method of providing crime-related safety information to a user of a personal navigation device and related device

• US 8,289,171 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2010
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MiTAC International Corporation (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: MiTAC International Corporation (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Morley, Simon Dean
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMALL, NAOMI J
• Application Number:
  US12/684,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20110169647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.4, 340/539.11, 340/539.13
• US Class Current: 340/573.4
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/006 with transmission via telephone network

Abstract

To alert a user of dangerous driving or parking conditions, a personal navigation device for providing a safety notification includes a positioning device for determining position of the personal navigation device, a networking device for receiving safety information corresponding to the position from a safety data server, a display for displaying a user interface and a map, and a processor. The processor generates a query including the position, controls the networking device to send the query to the safety data server, parses the safety information received from the safety data server, and modifies the user interface displayed by the display based on the safety information.

Claims

1. A personal navigation device for providing a safety notification, the personal navigation device comprising:

a positioning device for determining position of the personal navigation device;

a networking device for receiving safety information corresponding to the position from a safety data server;

a display for displaying a user interface comprising a map; and

a processor for generating a query comprising the position, controlling the networking device to send the query to the safety data server, parsing the safety information received from the safety data server, and modifying the user interface displayed by the display based on the safety information when speed of the personal navigation device is below a predetermined threshold while the personal navigation device is located in a high crime level region.

2. The personal navigation device of claim 1, further comprising:

a storage element for storing the safety information and the map.

3. The personal navigation device of claim 1, wherein the storage element further stores a safety level threshold, and the processor modifies the user interface displayed by the display based on the safety information and the safety level threshold.

4. The personal navigation device of claim 3, wherein the safety information comprises a safety level, and the processor modifies the user interface displayed by the display when the safety level is lower than the safety level threshold.

5. The personal navigation device of claim 4, wherein the processor controls the display to issue an alert when the position is within a safety distance threshold away from an area having the safety level lower than the safety level threshold.

6. The personal navigation device of claim 3, wherein the safety information comprises a safety level, and the processor modifies the user interface displayed by the display when the safety level is higher than the safety level threshold.

7. The personal navigation device of claim 4, wherein the processor controls the display to issue a safety message when the position is within a safety distance threshold away from an area having the safety level higher than the safety level threshold.

8. The personal navigation device of claim 1, further comprising:

an input device for receiving a safety notification request from a user, and sending the safety notification request to the processor;

wherein the processor receives the safety notification request;

wherein generating the query comprising the position and controlling the networking device to send the query to the safety data server is based on the safety notification request.

9. The personal navigation device of claim 1, wherein the processor further detects a change in mode of the personal navigation device from driving mode to walking mode, and modifying the user interface displayed by the display based on the safety information is performed upon detection of the change.

10. A method of activating an alarm in a personal navigation device, the method comprising:

the personal navigation device querying a safety data server for safety information corresponding to position of the personal navigation device;

the personal navigation device receiving the safety information from the safety data server; and

the personal navigation device displaying a safety notification in a user interface of the personal navigation device according to the safety information when speed of the personal navigation device is below a predetermined threshold while the personal navigation device is located in a high crime level region.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the personal navigation device storing the safety information on a storage element of the personal navigation device.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

the storage element further storing a safety level threshold; and

a processor of the personal navigation device modifying the user interface displayed by the display based on the safety information and the safety level threshold.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the safety information comprises a safety level, the method further comprising the processor modifying the user interface displayed by the display when the safety level is lower than the safety level threshold.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the processor modifying the user interface displayed by the display when the safety level is lower than the safety level threshold is the processor controlling the display to issue an alert when the position is within a safety distance threshold away from an area having the safety level lower than the safety level threshold.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the safety information comprises a safety level, the method further comprising the processor modifying the user interface displayed by the display when the safety level is higher than the safety level threshold.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the processor modifying the user interface displayed by the display when the safety level is higher than the safety level threshold is the processor controlling the display to issue a safety message when the position is within a safety distance threshold away from an area having the safety level higher than the safety level threshold.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the personal navigation device receiving the safety information from the safety data server is the personal navigation device receiving a safety event corresponding to the position from the safety data server.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the personal navigation device displaying the safety notification in the user interface of the personal navigation device according to the safety information and the position of the personal navigation device is displaying the safety notification in the user interface of the personal navigation device according to the safety information and the position upon detection of a change in mode of the personal navigation device from driving mode to walking mode.