Methods and apparatuses for providing enhanced navigation services

• US 8,583,373 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2008
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Services Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Services Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hicks, Mary Anne
• Primary Examiner(s): MARC-COLEMAN, MARTHE Y
• Application Number:
  US12/272,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20100125410A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,821 Days
• Field of Search: 701/209, 701/201, 701/208, 701/117, 701/200, 701/207, 701/211, 701/426, 701/533, 701/428, 704/4, 455/414.2, 455/439, 455/557, 340/539.13, 340/539.1, 342/357.31
• US Class Current: 701/533
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2205/04 Satellite based navigation systems, e.g. global positioning system [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/025 Absolute localisation, e.g. providing geodetic coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/005 with correlation of navigation data from several sources, e.g. map or contour matching G01C21/30 takes precedence

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing enhanced navigation services are disclosed. A navigation system can include a memory, a processor, and a location determination device. The navigation system can receive data that indicates the location of a device. The navigation system can generate notifications for the device. The navigation system can interrupt communications at the device to provide notifications, if desired. Methods for providing notifications during enhanced navigation sessions also are disclosed.

Claims

1. A system, for providing a notification message for an enhanced level of navigational services to a user of a mobile device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory being in operative communication with the processor and having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

generating the notification message for presentation to the user of the mobile device;

prompting the user for determining whether to provide the enhanced level of navigation services; and

in response to determining that the user would like the enhanced level of navigation services;

determining that the mobile device is within a proximity of a turn;

determining that the mobile device is engaged in a communication with an other device;

identifying a user-created preference indicating whether the user would like communications interrupted for delivery of messages;

selecting a notification mode, from a group of notification modes, for providing the notification message to the user based on a present circumstance, related to the user, other than a present location of the mobile device, yielding a presently-selected notification mode;

initiating interruption of the communication, in order to provide the notification message to the user, in response to determining that the mobile device is within proximity of the turn and in response to identifying the user-created preference indicating that communications should be interrupted for delivery of messages; and

initiating provision of the notification message to the user by way of the presently-selected notification mode.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the operations further comprising generating first instructions to interrupt the communication for providing the notification message for the enhanced level of navigational services to the user of the mobile device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the operation of generating the notification message for the enhanced level of navigational services, cause the processor to provide, in the message, information translated from a first language to a second language.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the operation of generating the notification message for the enhanced level of navigational services, cause the processor to provide, in the notification message, a pronunciation key for indicating pronunciation of at least one word associated with the message.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a location determination device, for use in determining the location of the mobile device, including a location component of the mobile device.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a location determination device, for use in determining the location of the mobile device, including a location server of a communications network.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the operations further comprising accessing maps and navigation information, wherein the maps and navigational information comprises data indicating routes, schedules, and transit times for at least one public transit vehicle; and

the notification message, for the enhanced level of navigational services, comprises the map and navigation information.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the operations further comprising accessing maps and navigation information, wherein the maps and navigational information comprises data indicating a route for at least one utility;

wherein the notification message, for the enhanced level of navigational services, includes the map and navigation information.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the operations further comprising accessing maps and navigation information, wherein the maps and navigational information comprises data indicating;

a rapid transit route;

a rapid transit schedule; and

a rapid transit stop; and

the notification message, for the enhanced level of navigational services, includes the map and navigation information.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

generate the notification message, cause the processor to generate the notification message, being a navigation message including navigation information;

identify the user-created preference indicating whether the user would like communications interrupted for delivery of notification messages, cause the processor to identify the user-created preference indicating whether the user would like communications interrupted for delivery of navigation messages; and

initiate interruption of the communication, in order to provide the notification message to the user, in response to determining that the mobile device is within proximity of the turn and in response to determining that the user-created preference indicates that communications should be interrupted for delivery of notification messages, cause the processor to initiate interruption of the communication, in order to provide the navigation message to the user, in response to determining that the mobile device is within proximity of the turn and in response to determining that the user-created preference indicates that communications should be interrupted for delivery of navigation messages.

11. A method, for providing a notification message, for an enhanced level of navigational services, to a user of a mobile device, comprising:

prompting a user of the mobile device for determining whether to provide the enhanced level of navigation services; and

in response to determining that the user would like the enhanced level of navigation services;

determining, by a processor, that the mobile device is within a proximity of a turn;

generating, by the processor, the notification message for the presentation to a user of the mobile device;

determining that the mobile device is engaged in communications with an other device;

determining if communications at the mobile device should be interrupted to provide the notification message;

identifying a user-created preference indicating whether the user would like communications interrupted for delivery of notification messages;

selecting a notification mode, from a group of notification modes, for providing the notification message to the user based on a present circumstance, related to the user, other than a present location of the mobile device, yielding a presently-selected notification mode;

initiating interruption of the communication, in order to present the notification message to the user, in response to determining that the mobile device is within proximity of the turn and in response to identifying the user-created preference indicating that communications should be interrupted for delivery of notification messages; and

initiating provision of the notification message to the user by way of the presently-selected notification mode.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein generating the notification message further comprises providing, in the notification message, information translated from a first language to a second language.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein generating the notification message further comprises providing, in the notification message, a pronunciation key for indicating pronunciation of at least one word associated with the information.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein generating the notification message further comprises generating a visual notification.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein generating the notification message further comprises generating an audio notification message.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting the notification message to one or more components of the mobile device.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein:

generating the notification message comprises generating the notification message in the form of a navigation message for presentation to a user of the mobile device, the navigation message including navigation information;

identifying the user-created preference indicating whether the user would like communications interrupted for delivery of navigation messages comprises identifying the user-created preference indicating whether the user would like communications interrupted for delivery of navigation messages; and

initiating interruption of the communication, in order to present the navigation message to the user, in response to determining that the mobile device is within proximity of the turn and in response to determining that the user-created preference indicates that communications should be interrupted for delivery of navigation messages comprises initiating interruption of the communication, in order to present the navigation message to the user, in response to determining that the mobile device is within proximity of the turn and in response to determining that the user-created preference indicates that communications should be interrupted for delivery of navigation messages.

18. A mobile device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory in communication with the processor and a location determination device, the memory having stored thereto computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

prompting the user for determining whether to provide an enhanced level of navigation services;

receiving a preference from the user indicating whether the user would like to receive communications interrupted for delivery of notification messages, to form a user-created preference; and

in response to determining that the user would like the enhanced level of navigation services;

receiving a notification message, for the enhanced level of navigational services, from a communication device remote to the mobile device and in a communication network;

identifying the user-created preference indicating whether the user would like communications interrupted for delivery of notification messages;

selecting a notification mode, from a group of notification modes, for providing the notification message to the user based on a present circumstance, related to the user, other than a present location of the mobile device, yielding a presently-selected notification mode;

interrupting an existing communication in order to present the notification message to the user in response to a determination having been made that the mobile device is within proximity of a turn and in response to a determination having been made that the user-created preference indicating that communications should be interrupted for delivery of notification messages; and

initiating provision of the notification message to the user by way of the presently-selected notification mode.

19. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the operations further comprising:

recognizing recognize received instructions as instructions to interrupt communications at the mobile device to provide the notification message, the instructions having been generated in response to the determination that the user-created preference indicates that communications should be interrupted for delivery of notification messages in the form of navigation messages; and

interrupting the existing communication in response to receiving the received instructions.

20. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate the notification message, cause the processor to provide, in the notification message, the navigation information translated from a first language to a second language.

21. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate the notification message, cause the processor to provide, in the notification message, a pronunciation key for indicating pronunciation of at least one word associated with the navigation information.

22. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein;

the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the operations further comprising determining location using the location determination device; and

the location determination device is a component of the mobile device.

23. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein:

the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the operations further comprising determining location using the location determination device; and

the location determination device includes a location server of the network, being a cellular network.

24. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the operations further comprising accessing maps and navigation information, wherein the maps and navigational information comprises data indicating routes, schedules, and transit times for at least one public transit vehicle.

25. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the operations further comprising accessing maps and navigation information, wherein the maps and navigational information comprises data indicating:

a rapid transit routes;

a rapid transit schedule; and

a rapid transit stop.

26. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

receive a preference from the user indicating whether the user would like communications interrupted for delivery of notification messages, to form a user-created preference, cause the processor to receive the preference from the user indicating whether the user would like communications interrupted for delivery of navigation messages;

to receive a notification message, causes the processor to receive the notification message in the form of a navigation message;

identify the user-created preference indicating whether the user would like communications interrupted for delivery of notification messages, cause the processor to identify the user-created preference indicating whether the user would like communications interrupted for delivery of navigation messages; and

interrupt an existing communication in order to present the notification message to the user, the notification message having been sent to the mobile device in response to a determination having been made that the mobile device is within proximity of a turn and in response to a determination having been made that the user-created preference indicates that communications should be interrupted for delivery of notification messages, cause the processor to interrupt an existing communication in order to present the navigation message to the user, the navigation message having been sent to the mobile device in response to a determination having been made that the mobile device is within proximity of a turn and in response to a determination having been made that the user-created preference indicates that communications should be interrupted for delivery of navigation messages.