Route reference

• US 8,762,056 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2008
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Forstall, Scott, Christie, Gregory N., Borchers, Robert E., Tiene, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, John Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHALEN, MICHAEL F
• Application Number:
  US12/026,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20090005978A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,330 Days
• Field of Search: 701/201, 701/202, 701/209, 701/210, 701/411, 701/412, 701/468, 701/519, 340/995.13, 340/995.23
• US Class Current: 701/519
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236

Abstract

A user input is received on a wireless device specifying a starting location. The position of the wireless device is tracked from the starting location in response to the user input. A user input is received on the wireless device specifying an ending location, and a route is generated from the tracking of the wireless device from the starting location to the ending location. A first reference is associated with the route, wherein the route is retrievable by a selection of the first reference.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, through a user interface implemented by a mobile device, a first input specifying a starting location, wherein the mobile device is a handheld device that includes telephony and a display for displaying a route in the user interface;

tracking a position of the mobile device from the starting location in response to receiving the first input;

receiving, through the user interface implemented by the mobile device, a second input specifying a first ending location;

generating a route from the tracking of the mobile device from the starting location to the ending location;

associating a first reference with the route, wherein the route is retrievable by a selection of the first reference;

saving the route and the associated first reference on the mobile device;

retrieving the saved route in response to receiving a third input specifying the first reference;

displaying the route in the user interface of the mobile device display;

while navigating the route, receiving a fourth input indicating that the route is to be edited; and

in response to receiving the fourth input, modifying the route by tracking the position of the mobile device from a location of the mobile device on the route when the fourth input was received to a second ending location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first ending location is different than the second ending location.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating the modified route with a second reference; and

saving the modified route and the associated second reference on the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information indicative of real-time traffic information.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a user input specifying an edit location indicator;

displaying the real-time traffic information; and

modifying the route based on the real-time traffic information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first reference is associated with one or more names.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is GPS-enabled.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is adapted to communicate with a vehicular on-board navigation system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first input is determined automatically based on a current position of the mobile device and displayed in the user interface.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the first reference and the second reference each comprise one or more parameters associated with the route.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the route and the first reference as an overlay on a map displayed in the user interface of the mobile device display.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the route comprises:

retrieving data representing user preferences from a data store; and

generating the route based in part on the retrieved data.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the route to another mobile device in an SMS message.

14. A system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes;

receiving, through a user interface implemented by a mobile device, a first input specifying a starting location, wherein the mobile device is a handheld device that includes telephony and a display for displaying a route in the user interface;

tracking a position of the mobile device from the starting location in response to receiving the first input;

receiving, through the user interface implemented by the mobile device, a second input specifying a first ending location;

generating a route from the tracking of the mobile device from the starting location to the ending location;

associating a first reference with the route, wherein the route is retrievable by a selection of the first reference;

saving the route and the associated first reference on the mobile device;

retrieving the saved route in response to receiving a third input specifying the first reference;

displaying the route in the user interface of the mobile device display;

while navigating the route, receiving a fourth input indicating that the route is to be edited; and

in response to receiving the fourth input, modifying the route by tracking the position of the mobile device from a location of the mobile device on the route when the fourth input was received to a second ending location.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first ending location is different than the second ending location.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the instructions cause:

associating the modified route with a second reference; and

saving the modified route and the associated second reference on the mobile device.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the instructions cause:

receiving information indicative of real-time traffic information.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the instructions cause:

receiving a user input specifying an edit location indicator;

displaying the real-time traffic information; and

modifying the route based on the real-time traffic information.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the first reference is associated with one or more names.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the mobile device is GPS-enabled.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the mobile device is adapted to communicate with a vehicular on-board navigation system.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the first input is determined automatically based on a current position of the mobile device and displayed in the user interface.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the first reference and the second reference each comprise one or more parameters associated with the route.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein the instructions cause:

displaying the route and the first reference as an overlay on a map displayed in the user interface of the mobile device display.

25. The system of claim 14, wherein the instructions that cause generating the route comprise instructions that cause:

retrieving data representing user preferences from a data store; and

generating the route based in part on the retrieved data.

26. The system of claim 14, wherein the instructions cause sending the route to another mobile device in an SMS message.