System and method for effective communication of location and other information about automobiles

• US 9,990,848 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2016
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silver State Intellectual Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Silver State Intellectual Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Obradovich, Michael L., White, Philip E.
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNNINGS, TRAVIS R
• Application Number:
  US15/351,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20170124872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• 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: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/137 the indicator being in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1845 broadcast or multicast in a specific location, e.g. geocast protocols for adapting network applications to user terminal location H04L67/52; services specially adapted for wireless communication networks making use of the location of users or terminals H04W4/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 : for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]

Abstract

Communications with an automobile are in the form of messages. The messages may be delivered to the automobile from a remote server through a communications network, e.g., the Internet. Messages may contain a recall notice to the automobile, map information or advertising information concerning selected entities depending on the current location of the automobile. Messages transmitted from the automobile to the remote server may contain location of the automobile or dynamic data furnished by sensors in the automobile.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

a system receiving data via a wireless communication system from a processor that is associated with a user, the data concerning the location of the processor;

the system storing the data concerning the location of the processor;

the system receiving user input data concerning a user input received by the processor, the user input data received by the system when the processor is at an input location;

the system associating the user input data with the input location and storing the user input data;

the system continuing to receive and store data concerning the location of the processor after storing the user input data;

the system monitoring the location of the processor; and

when the system determines that the location of the processor is approaching the input location, the server automatically delivering to the processor a signal to display a display element on an associated display device.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein the display element comprises a visual effect.

3. A method as in claim 2, wherein the visual effect comprises a highlight.

4. A method as in claim 3, wherein the display element comprises a map, and the highlight is shown on the map.

5. A method as in claim 2 additionally comprising the system periodically receiving a photographic image taken at the input location, and the display element comprises the most recently-received photographic image taken at the input location.

6. A method as in claim 1, wherein a map is displayed on the display device and an icon is displayed so as to correspond to the input location on the map, and the display element comprises highlighting the icon.

7. A method as in claim 1, additionally comprising storing an initial route followed by the processor to get to the input location when the user input was received.

8. A method as in claim 7, wherein determining that the location of the processor is approaching the input location comprises analyzing location data and recognizing that the location of the processor is following a current route that is similar to the initial route.

9. A method as in claim 8, wherein the processor is disposed within a vehicle.

10. A method as in claim 9, wherein the input location corresponds to a place of business, and wherein the display element comprises a logo of the place of business.

11. A method as in claim 10, wherein a map is displayed on the display device and the logo of the place of business is displayed so as to correspond to the location of the place of business on the map.

12. A method as in claim 11, wherein the display element comprises the logo being highlighted on the map.

13. A method as in claim 9, wherein the input location corresponds to a place of business, and additionally comprising the system periodically receiving a photographic image taken at the place of business, and the display element comprises the most recently-received photographic image taken at the place of business.

14. A method, comprising:

a server receiving data via a wireless communication system from a processor, the processor being associated with a user, the data comprising a user input and an input location of the processor, the input location being a location of the processor at or around when the user input was received;

saving the data concerning the user input and the input location of the processor so that the data concerning the user input is correlated with the input location;

the server continuing to receive data relating to the location of the processor via the wireless communication system;

the server identifying stored data relevant to or responsive to the user input;

the server monitoring the location of the processor; and

when the server determines that the location of the processor is at or near the input location, the server delivers to the processor the stored data relevant to or responsive to the user input.

15. A method as in claim 14, wherein the input location corresponds to a place of business and the user input comprises product selections of the user at the place of business.

16. A method as in claim 15, wherein the stored data relevant to or responsive to the user input comprises product offerings of the place of business.

17. A method as in claim 15, wherein the stored data relevant to or responsive to the user input comprises at least one of the product selections in the user input.

18. A method as in claim 14, wherein the input location corresponds to a restaurant and the user input comprises menu selections of the user at the restaurant.

19. A method as in claim 18, wherein the stored data relevant to or responsive to the user input comprises the restaurant menu.

20. A method as in claim 18, wherein the stored data relevant to or responsive to the user input comprises the restaurant menu with at least one of the menu selections of the user input highlighted.

21. A method as in claim 14, wherein the processor is disposed within a vehicle, and the input location corresponds to a place of business.

22. A method as in claim 21, additionally comprising when the system determines that the location of the processor is approaching the input location, the server automatically delivering to the processor a signal to display a display element on an associated display device.

23. A method as in claim 22, wherein the stored data relevant to or responsive to the user input comprises a previous user input.

24. A method as in claim 23, wherein the previous user input identifies the place of business as a favorite place of business.

25. A method as in claim 24, wherein the display element comprises a logo of the favorite place of business.

26. A method as in claim 25, wherein the favorite place of business comprises a favorite restaurant, and the user input comprises menu selections of the user at the favorite restaurant.

27. A method as in claim 26, wherein the stored data relevant to or responsive to the user input comprises a menu of the favorite restaurant.

28. A method as in claim 27 additionally comprising the display displaying at least a portion of the favorite restaurant menu on the associated display device with at least one of the menu selections of the user input highlighted.

29. A method as in claim 28, additionally comprising the server receiving order information from the processor, and the server transmitting order information to the favorite restaurant.

30. A method as in claim 28, additionally comprising storing an initial route followed by the processor to get to the input location when the user input was received, and wherein determining that the location of the processor approaching the input location comprises analyzing location data and recognizing that the location of the processor is following a current route that is similar to the initial route.

31. A method as in claim 22, additionally comprising storing an initial route followed by the processor to get to the input location when the user input was received, and wherein determining that the location of the processor is approaching the input location comprises analyzing location data and recognizing that the location of the processor is following a current route that is similar to the initial route.

32. A method as in claim 31, wherein the display element comprises a logo of the place of business.

33. A method as in claim 21, wherein the place of business comprises a restaurant, and the user input comprises menu selections of the user at the restaurant.

34. A method as in claim 33, wherein the stored data relevant to or responsive to the user input comprises a menu of the restaurant.

35. A method as in claim 34, additionally comprising when the system determines that the location of the processor is approaching the input location, the server automatically delivering to the processor a signal to display a display element on an associated display device, the display element comprising a portion of the stored data relevant to or responsive to the user input.

36. A method as in claim 35, additionally comprising the display element comprising at least a portion of the restaurant menu with at least one of the menu selections of the user input highlighted.

37. A method as in claim 36, additionally comprising the server receiving order information from the processor, and the server transmitting order information to the favorite restaurant.

38. A method as in claim 21, additionally comprising when the system determines that the location of the processor is approaching the input location, the server automatically delivering to the processor a signal to display a display element on an associated display device, the display element comprising a portion of the stored data relevant to or responsive to the user input.

39. A method as in claim 38, wherein the stored data relevant to or responsive to the user input comprises product offerings of the place of business and at least one of the product selections in the user input.

40. A method as in claim 39, additionally comprising storing an initial route followed by the processor to get to the input location when the user input was received, and wherein determining that the location of the processor is approaching the input location comprises analyzing location data and recognizing that the location of the processor is following a current route that is similar to the initial route.