Method and system for saving and retrieving spatial related information

• US 8,786,469 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2013
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Artax LLC (IPValuation Partners, LLC)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Sheha, Michael A., Sheha, Angie, Petilli, Stephen, Goddard, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): BLOUNT, ERIC
• Application Number:
  US13/784,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20130184988A1
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• Field of Search: 340/995.13, 701/465, 700/200
• US Class Current: 340/995.13
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• 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: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for storing, referencing, retrieving, and graphically displaying spatial and non-spatial related information of a mobile computing device, such as a laptop computer or a cellular telephone. The spatial-related information may be obtained by using positioning tracking systems such as a global positioning system, whereas the non-spatial related information may include communication activities associated with the mobile computing device, such as phone calls, e-mails, text messages, pages, etc. The present invention also provides methods and apparatus of sharing event information between mobile communication devices as well as related navigational information for traveling to an event from a real-time position of a mobile communication device.

Claims

1. A method of searching for time-stamped meta data, comprising:

receiving, at a physical server, current location information respectively associated with each of a plurality of mobile communication devices;

performing a search using said current location information to retrieve time-stamped meta data associated with said current location information respectively associated with each of said plurality of mobile communication devices; and

determining a duration of each stop within said retrieved time-stamped meta data.

2. The method of searching for time-stamped meta data according to claim 1, wherein:

said meta data includes a stop condition.

3. The method of searching for time-stamped meta data according to claim 1, wherein:

said meta data includes an email message.

4. The method of searching for time-stamped meta data according to claim 1, wherein:

said meta data includes a digital image.

5. The method of searching for time-stamped meta data according to claim 4, wherein:

said digital image overlaps with associated location information.

6. The method of searching for time-stamped meta data according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining, for at least one of said plurality of mobile communication devices, using said retrieved time-stamped meta data, a number of stops made by each of said plurality of mobile communication devices, a duration of each of said stops, and a duration of travel time between consecutive stops.

7. The method of searching for time-stamped meta data according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining a total travel time and a total stop time for at least one of said plurality of mobile communication devices, using said retrieved time-stamped meta data, a duration of a stop, and a duration of travel time, for said each of said plurality of mobile communication devices.

8. The method of searching for time-stamped meta data according to claim 7, further comprising:

determining a distance traveled between two consecutive stops for at least one of said plurality of mobile communication devices.

9. The method of searching for time-stamped meta data according to claim 7, further comprising:

determining an average speed of at least one of said plurality of mobile communication devices during a duration of travel time of said at least one of said plurality of mobile communication devices.

10. The method of searching for time-stamped meta data according to claim 1, further comprising:

planning a route, for at least one of said plurality of mobile communication devices.

11. The method of searching for time-stamped meta data according to claim 1, further comprising:

forwarding said retrieved time-stamped meta data to another mobile communication device distinct from a one of said plurality of mobile communication devices associated with said time-stamped meta data.

12. The method of searching for time-stamped meta data according to claim 1, wherein:

said plurality of mobile communication devices are each a cellular telephone.

13. The method of searching for time-stamped meta data according to claim 1, wherein:

said current location information is Global Positioning System (GPS)-derived location information.