HK1136890A - Location data processing apparatus and method of importing location information - Google Patents

Abstract

A location data processing apparatus comprises a data enrichment module (171) arranged to receive, when in use, content generated in response to a content request. The data enrichment module (171) is arranged to embed location importation data in the content prior to presentation thereof. The location importation data is organized in accordance with a data structure definition.

Description

Position data processing apparatus and position information introducing method

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a location information importing apparatus that receives data and enriches the type of the received data, for example. The invention also relates to a location information introduction method, such as receiving a request for content and serving the type of the request for content with enriched data.

Background

Portable computing devices, such as Portable Navigation Devices (PNDs) that include GPS (global positioning system) signal reception and processing functionality, are well known and widely used as in-car or other vehicular navigation systems.

In general, modern PNDs comprise a processor, memory (at least one and typically both of volatile and non-volatile), and map data stored within the memory. It is common for the processor and memory to cooperate to provide an execution environment in which a software operating system may be established, and additionally to provide one or more additional software programs to enable control of the functionality of the PND and to provide various other functions.

Typically, these devices further comprise: one or more input interfaces that allow a user to interact with and control the device; and one or more output interfaces by means of which information can be relayed to a user. Illustrative examples of output interfaces include a visual display and a speaker for audible output. Illustrative examples of input interfaces include: one or more physical buttons to control the on/off operation or other features of the device (the buttons need not necessarily be on the device itself, but could be on the steering wheel if the device is built into a vehicle); and a microphone for detecting a user's voice. In one particular arrangement, the output interface display may be configured as a touch-sensitive display (by means of a touch-sensitive overlay or otherwise), so as to additionally provide an input interface by means of which a user can operate the apparatus by touch.

This type of device will also typically include: one or more physical connector interfaces by means of which power and (optionally) data signals can be transmitted to and received from the device; and (optionally) one or more wireless transmitters/receivers to allow communication via cellular telecommunications and other signal and data networks (e.g., bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Wi-Max, GSM, UMTS, etc.).

PNDs of this type also include a GPS antenna by means of which satellite broadcast signals including location data can be received and subsequently processed to determine the current location of the device.

The PND may also include electronic gyroscopes and accelerometers which generate signals which can be processed to determine the current angular and linear acceleration, and in turn (and in conjunction with position information derived from GPS signals) the speed and relative displacement of the vehicle in which the device, and hence the PDN, is installed. Typically, such features are most commonly provided in-vehicle navigation systems, but may also be provided in PNDs (if it is convenient to do so).

The utility of such PNDs is manifested primarily in their ability to determine a route between a first location (typically a starting or current location) and a second location (typically a destination). These locations may be entered by the user of the device by any of a variety of different methods, such as by zip code, street name and house number, previously stored "well known" destinations (e.g., famous locations, municipal locations (e.g., stadiums or swimming pools), or other points of interest), and favorite or recently visited destinations.

Typically, PNDs are enabled by software for calculating a "best" or "best" route between a start address location and a destination address location from map data. The "best" or "best" route is determined based on predetermined criteria and need not necessarily be the fastest or shortest route. The selection of routes to guide the driver along the way forward can be very complex, and the selected route can take into account existing, predicted, and dynamically and/or wirelessly received traffic and road information, historical information about road speeds, and the driver's own preferences for factors in determining road selection (e.g., the driver can specify that the route should not include highways or toll roads).

In addition, the device may continually monitor road and traffic conditions, and provide or choose to change the routes of the remaining trips as a result of changing conditions. Real-time traffic monitoring systems based on various technologies (e.g., mobile phone data exchange, fixed cameras, GPS fleet tracking) are used to identify traffic delays and feed the information into notification systems.

PNDs of this type are typically mountable on the dashboard or windscreen of a vehicle, but may also be formed as part of the on-board computer of the vehicle radio, or indeed as part of the control system of the vehicle itself. The navigation device may also be part of a handheld system such as a PDA (portable digital assistant), media player, mobile phone or the like, and in these cases the normal functionality of the handheld system is extended by means of the installation of software on the device to perform both route calculation and navigation along the calculated route.

Route planning and navigation functionality may also be provided by desktop or mobile computing resources running appropriate software. For example, Royal Automobile Club (RAC) provides an online route planning and navigation tool at http:// www.rac.co.uk that allows a user to enter a start point and a destination, whereupon a server with which the user's computing resources are communicating calculates a route (aspects of which may be user-specified), generates a map, and generates an exhaustive set of navigation instructions for guiding the user from the selected start point to the selected destination. The tool also provides pseudo three-dimensional rendering of the calculated route and route preview functionality that simulates a user traveling along the route and thereby provides a preview of the calculated route to the user.

In the case of a PND, once a route has been calculated, the user interacts with the navigation device to optionally select a desired calculated route from a list of proposed routes. Optionally, the user may intervene or guide the routing process, for example, by specifying that certain routes, roads, locations, or criteria are to be avoided or must be followed for a particular trip. The route calculation aspect of the PND forms one primary function, and navigation along this route is another primary function.

During navigation along a calculated route, such PNDs typically provide visual and/or audible instructions to guide the user along a selected route to the end of the route (i.e., the desired destination). PNDs also typically display map information on a screen during navigation, this information being regularly updated on the screen so that the displayed map information represents the current location of the device, and thus of the user or user's vehicle if the device is being used for in-vehicle navigation.

The icons displayed on the screen typically represent the current device location, and centered thereon are map information of the current and surrounding roads in the vicinity of the current device location, as well as other map features that are also being displayed. Additionally, navigation information may optionally be displayed in the form of a status bar above, below, or to one side of the displayed map information, examples of which include the distance from the current road to the next bias that the user desires to take, the nature of which may be represented by another icon suggesting a particular type of bias (e.g., a left or right turn). The navigation function also determines the content, duration and timing of audible instructions by means of which the user can be guided along the route. As can be appreciated, simple instructions such as "turn left after 100 m" require considerable processing and analysis. As previously mentioned, user interaction with the device may be through a touch screen, or additionally or alternatively through a remote control mounted joystick, through voice activation, or through any other suitable method.

Another important function provided by the device is automatic route recalculation in the following cases: the user deviates from the previously calculated route during navigation (accidentally or intentionally); real-time traffic conditions indicate that it would be more convenient to replace routes, and the device is appropriately enabled to automatically recognize such conditions; or if the user actively causes the device to perform route recalculation for any reason.

It is also known to allow a route to be calculated with user-defined criteria; for example, the user may prefer that the device calculate a scenic route, or may wish to avoid any roads on which traffic congestion may occur, is expected to occur, or is currently prevailing. The device software will then calculate various routes and weigh the more favorable routes that include the highest number of points of interest (known as POIs) marked as, for example, natural beauty along their route, or customize the calculated routes according to the level of possible congestion or delay due to them, using stored information indicating prevailing traffic conditions on particular roads. Other POI-based and traffic information-based route calculation and navigation criteria are also possible.

Although route calculation and navigation functions are essential to the overall utility of the PND, it is possible to use the device purely for information display or "free driving", where only map information relating to the current device location is displayed, and where no route is calculated and the device is not currently performing navigation. This mode of operation is generally applicable when the user already knows the route along which he wishes to travel and does not require navigation assistance.

Devices of the type described above, such as the ONE model manufactured and supplied by tomtomtomtom International b.v. (TomTom International b.v.), provide a reliable method to enable a user to navigate from ONE location to another. Such devices have great utility when users are unfamiliar with routes to destinations to which such devices are navigating.

As mentioned above, previously stored "well known" destinations or other points of interest, or favorite or recently visited destinations, may be used in relation to navigation using the PND. In this regard, PNDs typically include a database of points of interest accompanied by map data stored in a memory or other storage device of the PND. The point of interest data provided by the manufacturer of the PND or map vendor is virtually indistinguishable from one another from the consumer's perspective. Furthermore, the point of interest data that is typically available to PNDs is often out of date because of hysteresis between the map vendor's compilation of the point of interest data and the final version and publication for use in the PND. The delay is particularly attributable to the need to schedule the release of point of interest data with map release. In addition, the point of interest data is often incomplete and not comprehensive enough for the needs of most PND users. Furthermore, the search for point of interest data is rather limited. In practice, users of PNDs are typically only able to search for point of interest data according to one criterion or category (e.g., "restaurant"). It is not possible to "drill down" through the point of interest data in order to specify further details of interest (e.g., "Italian restaurants") and thus further limit the results in order to reduce the workload of the user of the PND in reviewing the search results. While a third party set of points of interest is already available, installing the third party set of points of interest into the PND is relatively cumbersome for the user to perform. Also, third party sets of points of interest are not designed for scalability.

Disclosure of Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a position data processing apparatus comprising: a data enrichment module arranged to receive, in use, content generated in response to a content request; wherein the data enrichment module is arranged to embed location importation data in the content prior to rendering the content, the location importation data being organized according to a data structure definition.

The data enrichment module may be arranged to analyse the content and identify candidate location information therein, the data enrichment module further being arranged to generate the location importation data in dependence on the candidate location information.

The data enrichment module may be arranged to: extracting data from the candidate location information, the data corresponding to a number of fields defined by the data structure; and the extracted data is organized according to a data structure definition.

At least a portion of the location importation data can be encoded as a Uniform Resource Indicator (URI). At least a portion of the location importation data can be encoded as a Universal Resource Locator (URL).

The data structure definition may conform to an Application Programming Interface (API) of the server. The application programming interface may relate to a navigation apparatus or a device management application for a navigation apparatus.

The data enrichment module may be arranged to embed an object in the content associated with the location importation data, the object providing a visual indication of the presence of location information importable in the navigation apparatus and associated with a geographical location shown in the content.

The location importation data can be compatible with the importation process of the device management application and/or the navigation apparatus. The import procedure may be provided for direct import of at least a portion of the location import data.

The location importation data can include requests according to a request/response communication protocol.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a client terminal apparatus comprising: a processing resource arranged to support a location data processing apparatus as set out above in relation to the first aspect of the invention; and a communication interface for transmitting the content request to a content server; wherein the processing resource is arranged to support a user interface for receiving information relating to a content request.

The information related to the content request may include a first search term. The information related to the content request may include a second search term. The information related to the content request may include a third search term. The information related to the content request may include a plurality of search terms, including the first, second, and/or third search terms.

The apparatus may further comprise: a browser application supported by the user interface to provide a data collection interface for collecting information related to the content request; wherein the browser application is arranged to present the received content as modified by the data enrichment module.

The data collection interface may be a web page. The browser may be arranged to present the content received by the data enrichment module as another web page (e.g., a search results web page).

The data enrichment module can be a browser plug-in.

The data enrichment module may be arranged to receive identification information via the input device, the identification information identifying at least a portion of the content received and relating to the geographical location, the data enrichment module being arranged to generate the location importation data in respect of the portion of the content received and in response to provision of the identification information.

The input device may be part of a touch screen or may be a computer mouse.

The apparatus may further comprise: a device management application for managing an externally connectable navigation device, the device management application being arranged to provide, in use, a data collection interface for collecting information relating to content requests; wherein the device management application is arranged to present the received content as modified by the data enrichment module.

The device management application may be arranged to determine whether a navigation device is coupled to the client terminal apparatus.

The device management application may be arranged to introduce at least part of the location introduction data into the navigation device in response to the navigation device being detected as coupled to the client terminal apparatus.

The introduction of at least a portion of the location introduction data may be in response to user input. The user input may be an indication showing a geographic location on the map that corresponds to at least a portion of the location importation data. The user input may be storing at least a portion of the location importation data as a point of interest or a set of points of interest. The user input may be storing at least a portion of the location importation data as a favorite location.

The device management application may be arranged to queue at least part of the location importation data for subsequent importation into the navigation device in response to the navigation device being detected as disconnected from the client terminal apparatus.

The apparatus may further comprise: a navigation application of a navigation apparatus, the navigation application being arranged to provide, in use, a data collection interface for collecting information relating to a content request; wherein the navigation application is arranged to present the received content as modified by the data enrichment module.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a navigation device comprising a client terminal apparatus as set out above in relation to the second aspect of the invention.

The processing resource may be arranged (via the user interface) to present a plurality of geographical locations and to permit the user to select more than one of the plurality of geographical locations to provide an indication of the set of points of interest.

The processing resource may be arranged to permit selection of a name for the set of points of interest. The processing resource may be arranged to permit selection of a graphical image of the set of points of interest and/or a geographical location of the set of points of interest. The processing resource may be arranged to provide a tool for user selection of all of the plurality of geographical locations by a single user action via the user interface. The single user action may be the selection of a "select all" type checkbox.

The location importation data can identify a server for converting the location importation data into an importable format organized according to another data structure definition for importation by the client terminal device.

The importable format can be used by a navigation apparatus to import at least a portion of the location importation data directly into the navigation apparatus. The importable format can be used by a device management application to import at least a portion of the location importation data directly into the navigation device.

The processing resource may be arranged to communicate the selected one or more of the plurality of geographical locations to the server for processing and subsequent receipt of the location importation data corresponding to the set of points of interest.

The location importation data can be arranged such that the browser application opens the start page in response to selection of the location importation data.

The processing resource may be arranged to communicate a request to the server in response to a user selection of the location importation data, the request being indicative of a request to wirelessly communicate information corresponding to at least a portion of the location importation data from the server to the navigation apparatus for importation into the navigation apparatus.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of introducing location information into a navigation device, the method comprising: transmitting a request for content from a client terminal to a server; accessing and processing data to service the request for content, the content including candidate location information corresponding to a geographic location; generating location importation data relating to candidate location information, the location data being organized according to a data structure definition; and embedding the location importation data in the content.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of performing an electronic transaction relating to the provision of location data for a navigation device, the method comprising: collaborate with a content provider to service requests for content; using the data structure definition to provide location data in a format for introduction into a navigation device, the location data relating to a geographical location identified in content; and recording the request for location data; and allocating a share of revenue earned by the content provider from the third party for at least a portion of the service content.

The shared revenue may relate to advertising revenue associated with the request for content.

According to a sixth aspect of the invention, there is provided a computer program element comprising computer program code means to make a computer execute the method as set out above in relation to the fourth or fifth aspect of the invention.

The computer program element may be embodied on a computer readable medium.

Advantages of these embodiments are set forth below, and further details and features of each of these embodiments are defined in the appended claims and elsewhere in the following detailed description.

Thus, it is possible to provide an apparatus, system and method that allows a very complete and up-to-date database of accessible location information, and in particular from trusted information sources. Indeed, the improved accessibility to location information enables users to obtain relevant, correct and rich information content from a database of location information. Furthermore, the obtained data is more up to date than data mined from an existing point of interest database stored locally by the PND. Also, the user can access location information of contents with higher standards and richness than existing point-of-interest information currently stored by the PND. The ability to use existing search tools (both engines and databases) in order to obtain location information yields improved correlation of the obtained location information. In this regard, a search engine may be used to enable a user to specify the type of location of interest with greater detail. Access to available sophisticated and flexible search tools allows users to freely enter any desired search criteria in order to specify the type or category of location of interest and any number of sub-types or sub-categories. Thus, any personal need of the user to find a location in any region can be fulfilled.

In addition, it is possible to use this capability to obtain highly centralized location information in order to form a set of location information, enabling a personalized set of location information (e.g., points of interest) to be created and used in the PND.

A favorable degree of accessibility to location information is also provided to enable a user to obtain location information from a computing device, such as a Personal Computer (PC) at home, at a work site, or elsewhere (e.g., at a so-called internet cafe, or some other third party location where computing devices are present).

It is also possible to provide enhanced ease and speed of setting destinations and/or waypoints (waypoints) when planning a route. The obtained location information may be seamlessly integrated into the PND for storage and subsequent use with respect to navigation or other purposes. In this respect, the installation of the obtained position information is relatively fast and can be achieved in a user-friendly manner, thereby reducing the workload of the user, especially when in a vehicle, and thus improving the user safety. Furthermore, the location information obtained and installed on the PND may be compatible with existing navigation features of the PND, and thus may be used to assist in providing the user with an improved navigation experience involving less driver and/or user workload, for example, due to a reduction in time to set up routes using the PND.

The apparatus, system and method also allow for reliable and secure provisioning of location information, i.e., the user has confidence that location information has been obtained from a known and reliable information source (e.g., a known network search provider), and thus minimizes the risk of provisioning erroneous information from malicious sources.

Users also have enhanced options due to the compatibility of the devices, systems, and methods with the most popular web browser technologies. It is further possible to provide improved flexibility with respect to obtaining location information: it is possible to easily adapt to changes in the data structure definition that may be subsequently imposed by a content provider (e.g., a search result provider). The provided location information is also scalable, and the techniques for obtaining and installing location information provide a degree of backwards compatibility.

From a commercial point of view, it is also possible to provide services that are optionally free of charge, which enables PND manufacturers to study location information requested by users so as to be able to provide improved services depending on the type and quality of content provided. Embodiments of the tool are relatively low cost and also provide an opportunity for revenue sharing (e.g., advertising revenue), enabling the tool to be offered by the PND manufacturer to the owner and/or user of the PND for free. Accordingly, PND manufacturers have a competitive advantage in a highly competitive market. Furthermore, brand exposure of PND manufacturers on the internet is improved, and brand loyalty and the ability to create a bundle between desirable brands and the PND manufacturer's brand are improved. Furthermore, when the accompanying software for use on a computer is used to obtain and install location information, the consumer is also presented with the opportunity to acquire other products and services that may be of interest and benefit to the user.

Drawings

At least one embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

figure 1 is a schematic illustration of electronic components of a navigation device;

FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of an architectural stack used by the navigation device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a communication system for communication between a client terminal and a first server and a second server;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a location information importing method constituting a corresponding number of embodiments of the present invention;

FIGS. 5 through 10 are screenshots from a client terminal according to the method of FIG. 4 and constituting an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a screen shot of a view generated by a client terminal as used in another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a screen shot of a view generated by a device management application according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a flow chart of a method used by the device management application of FIG. 12;

FIGS. 14-18 are additional screen shots of the view generated by the device management application of FIG. 12;

19-20 are screen shots of the views displayed by the device management application of FIG. 13 according to yet another embodiment;

FIG. 21 is a screen shot of a view displayed by a device management application according to another embodiment; and

fig. 22 is a screen shot of a view displayed by a client terminal of a browser according to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

In the following description, the same reference numerals will be used to identify the same parts throughout.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with particular reference to PNDs and/or device management applications therefor. It should be kept in mind, however, that the teachings of the present invention are not limited to PNDs and device management applications therefor, but instead are generally applicable to any type of processing device configured to execute navigation software in a portable or mobile manner to provide route planning and navigation functionality. It follows therefore that in the context of the present application, a navigation device is intended to include, but is not limited to, any type of route planning and navigation device, whether embodied as a PND, a vehicle such as an automobile, or indeed a portable computing resource, such as a portable Personal Computer (PC), mobile telephone or Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) executing route planning and navigation software.

It will also be apparent from the following that the teachings of the present invention have utility even if the user does not look for instructions on how to navigate from one point to another, but only wishes to have a view of a given location. In such cases, the "destination" location selected by the user need not have a corresponding start location from which the user wishes to start navigating, and thus references herein to a "destination" location or indeed to a "destination" view should not be interpreted to mean that generation of a route is necessary, that travel to a "destination" must occur, or that the presence of a destination actually requires specification of a corresponding start location.

Referring to fig. 1, a navigation device 100 is located within a housing (not shown). The navigation device 100 comprises a GPS receiver device 102 or is coupled to the GPS receiver device 102 via a connection 104, wherein the GPS receiver device 102 may be, for example, a GPS antenna/receiver. It will be appreciated that the antenna and receiver designated by reference numeral 102 are combined schematically for illustration, but the antenna and receiver may be separately located components, and the antenna may be, for example, a GPS patch antenna (gppatch antenna) or a helical antenna.

The navigation device 100 includes processing resources including, for example, a processor 106, the processor 106 being coupled to an input device 108 and a display device (e.g., a display screen 110). Although reference is made herein to the input device 108 in the singular, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the input device 108 represents any number of input devices, including keyboard devices, voice input devices, touch panels, and/or any other known input devices for inputting information. Likewise, the display screen 110 may comprise any type of display screen (e.g., a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)).

In one arrangement, one aspect of the input device 108 (touch panel) and the display screen 110 are integrated to provide an integrated input and display device, including a touchpad or touchscreen input to enable both input of information (via direct input, menu selection, etc.) and display of information via the touch panel screen, such that a user need only touch a portion of the display screen 110 to select one of a plurality of display selections or activate one of a plurality of virtual or "soft" buttons. In this regard, the processor 106 supports a Graphical User Interface (GUI) that operates in conjunction with a touch screen.

In the navigation device 100, the processor 106 is operatively connected to the input device 108 via a connection 112 and is capable of receiving input information from the input device 108 via the connection 112, and the processor 106 is operatively connected to at least one of the display screen 110 and an output device 114, such as an audible output device (e.g., a speaker), via respective output connections 116, 118. As the output device 114 may produce audible information for a user of the navigation device 100, it should likewise be understood that the input device 108 may also include a microphone and software for receiving input voice commands. In addition, the navigation device 100 may also include any additional input devices 108 and/or any additional output devices, such as audio input/output devices.

The processor 106 is operatively connected to the memory 120 via a connection 122 and is further arranged to receive/send information from/to an input/output (I/O) port 124 via a connection 126, wherein the I/O port 124 is connected to an I/O device 128 external to the navigation device 100.

Of course, those skilled in the art will understand that the electronic units schematically shown in FIG. 1 are powered by one or more power sources (not shown) in a conventional manner. As will also be understood by those skilled in the art, different configurations of the units shown in FIG. 1 are contemplated. For example, the components shown in fig. 1 may communicate with each other via wired and/or wireless connections, and so on. Thus, the navigation device 100 described herein may be a portable or handheld navigation device 100.

For example, the external I/O device 128 may include, but is not limited to, an external listening device (e.g., a headset). The connection to the I/O device 128 may further be a wired or wireless connection to any other external device, such as a car stereo unit for hands-free operation and/or for voice activated operation, for connection to an earphone or headset, and/or for connection to a mobile phone. A mobile phone connection may be used to establish a data connection between the navigation device 100 and, for example, the internet or any other network, and/or to establish a connection to a server, for example, via the internet or some other network.

The navigation device 100 is able to establish a data session with the network hardware of a "mobile" or telecommunications network via a mobile device (not shown), such as the mobile phone, PDA and/or any device with mobile phone technology described above, as required, in order to establish a digital connection (e.g. a digital connection via known bluetooth technology). Thereafter, via the mobile device's network service provider, the mobile device may establish a network connection (e.g., via the internet) with a server (not shown in fig. 1). As such, a "mobile" network connection may be established between the navigation device 100 (which may be, and often times is, mobile when traveling alone and/or in a vehicle) and the server to provide a "real-time" or at least completely "up-to-date" gateway for information.

For example, using the internet to establish a network connection between a mobile device (via a service provider) and another device, such as a server, may be done in a known manner. In this regard, any number of suitable data communication protocols may be used, such as the TCP/IP layering protocol. Further, the mobile device may utilize any number of communication standards such as CDMA2000, GSM, IEEE 802.11a/b/c/g/n, and the like. It can thus be seen that an internet connection may be utilised which may be achieved, for example, via a data connection, via a mobile telephone or mobile telephone technology within the navigation device 100.

For phone settings, for example, a bluetooth enabled navigation device may be used to work properly with the ever changing range of mobile phone models, manufacturers, etc., model/manufacturer specific settings may be stored on the navigation device 100. The data stored for this information may be updated.

As mentioned above, and although not shown, the navigation device 100 may of course include its own mobile phone technology within the navigation device 100 itself (e.g. including an antenna, or optionally using a pre-existing internal antenna of the navigation device 100). The mobile phone technology within the navigation device 100 may include internal components and/or may include a pluggable card, such as a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card, along with, for example, the necessary mobile phone technology and/or antenna. As such, mobile phone technology within the navigation device 100 may similarly establish a network connection between the navigation device 100 and a server, such as via the internet, in a manner similar to that of any mobile device.

It should be noted that the block diagram of the navigation device 100 described above does not include all components of the navigation device 100, but is merely representative of many example components.

Turning to fig. 2, the processor 106 and memory 120 cooperate to support a BIOS (basic input/output system) 132, the BIOS 132 acting as an interface between functional hardware components 130 of the navigation device 100 and software executed by the navigation device 100. The processor 106 then loads the operating system 134 from the memory 120, the operating system 134 providing an environment in which application software 136 (implementing some or all of the route planning and navigation functionality described above) may run. The application software 136 provides an operating environment that includes a GUI that supports core functions of the navigation device 100, such as map viewing, route planning, navigation functions, and any other functions associated therewith. In this regard, a portion of the application software 136 includes a data import module 138.

Referring to fig. 3, a client terminal 170 is depicted in communication with a server 150 via a general communication channel 152, which may be implemented by any of a number of different arrangements. The communication channel 152 generally represents the propagation medium or path connecting the client terminal 170 and the server 150. The server 150 and the client terminal 170 may communicate when a connection via the communication channel 152 is established between the server 150 and the client terminal 170 (note that such a connection may be a data connection via a mobile device, a direct connection via the internet, etc.).

The communication channel 152 is not limited to a particular communication technology. In addition, the communication channel 152 is not limited to a single communication technology; that is, channel 152 may include several communication links using a variety of techniques. For example, the communication channel 152 may provide a path for electrical, optical, and/or other electromagnetic communications, among others. As such, communication channel 152 includes (but is not limited to) one or a combination of: electrical circuits, electrical conductors such as wires and coaxial cables, fiber optic cables, transducers, Radio Frequency (RF) waves, the atmosphere, free space, and the like. Further, for example, the communication channel 152 may include intermediate devices such as routers, repeaters, buffers, transmitters, and receivers.

The communication signals transmitted over the communication channel 152 include, but are not limited to, signals as may be required or desired for a given communication technology. For example, the signals may be suitable for use in cellular communication techniques such as Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), global system for mobile communications (GSM), and so on. Both digital and analog signals may be transmitted over the communication channel 152. These signals may be modulated, encrypted, and/or compressed signals as may be desired for communication technology.

The server 150 includes, among other components that may not be illustrated, a processor 154 operatively connected to a memory 156 and further operatively connected to a mass data storage 160 via a wired or wireless connection 158. In this example, mass storage device 160 contains storage of search related data and (optionally) map information, and further may be a separate device from server 150 or may be incorporated into server 150. The processor 154 is further operatively connected to the transmitter 162 and the receiver 164 to transmit information to the client terminal 170 and receive information from the client terminal 170 via the communication channel 152. The signals sent and received may include data, communications, and/or other propagated signals. The transmitter 162 and receiver 164 may be selected or designed according to the communication requirements and communication technology in the communication design for the client terminal 170. Additionally, it should be noted that the functions of the transmitter 162 and receiver 164 may be combined into a single transceiver.

Software stored in server memory 156 provides instructions for processor 154 and allows server 150 to provide services to client terminal 170.

As mentioned above, the client terminal 170 may be arranged to communicate with the server 150 via the communication channel 152, using the transmitter 166 and receiver 168 to send and receive signals and/or data via the communication channel 152, noting that these devices may further be used to communicate with devices other than the server 150. In addition, the transmitter 166 and receiver 168 are selected or designed according to the communication requirements and communication technology in the communication design for the client terminal 170, and the functions of the transmitter 166 and receiver 168 may be combined into a single transceiver.

In this embodiment, the navigation device 100 may be connected to the client terminal 170 via a cable and an input/output port 172 (e.g., a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port) of the client terminal 170. In this example, the client terminal 170 is a PC, such as a desktop or laptop PC, that supports a version of Windows, such as that released by Microsoft corporation^TMAn operating system of the operating system. However, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that any other suitable operating system may be used, such as OS X, which is commercially available from Apple, Inc. Since PCs are common, the hardware configuration of the PC 170 will not be described in further detail herein for simplicity and clarity of description. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the PC includes processing resources 169 for supporting the data enrichment module 171 in some embodiments. The PC also includes peripheral devices such as input and/or output devices, e.g., a keyboard (not shown), a display (not shown), and (optionally) a mouse (also not shown).

In this example, server 150 is a content server supporting a search engine. However, the client terminal 170 can also communicate with another server 174 via another communication channel 176 of the same or similar type as the communication channel 152. In this example, another server 174 is a location importation data delivery server 174 that supports a transaction record database 178. In a manner similar to processor 150, server 174 includes a communication interface 173 and processing resources 175.

Turning to fig. 4 and 5, a user of the client terminal 170 wishes to introduce location information into the navigation device 100. In this regard, the user wishes to use location information from a source other than location information stored in a point of interest (POI) database contained in the memory 120 of the navigation device 100. Thus, a user first initiates a web browser application 200, such as an Internet Explorer (Internet Explorer), which has Windows^TMAnd (4) operating the system. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that any other suitable browser application may be used, such as the Firefox browser published by the Cia Suo (Mozilla) corporation or the Opera published by the European Lap Software ASA (Opera Software ASA).

The user then accesses the third party search provider's website 202 (e.g., Google Maps) by typing Maps. In this example, the user is about locating a restaurant in berlin, germany (in particular, a pizza parlor), and thus after selecting the "find commercial" tab 204 presented by the server 150 serving the web page supporting the "google map" website, the user types the word "pizza" into a first search box 206, and types the word "berlin" into a second search box 208 provided on the search page. Thus, the user is looking for pizza restaurants located in Berlin and these pizza restaurants are found by a "Google map" search engine supported by the server 150. Thus, the results list 210 is presented (step 300) in a first pane and the map 212 including the marker 214 is presented in a second pane.

Referring to FIG. 6, the user identifies an attention result 216 (a restaurant in this example) and is then presented with an information bubble 218 containing brief information about the selected attention result 216. Thereafter, the user selects the "send" link 220 and is presented (FIG. 7) with a "send to …" option 222, e.g., send to "email", send to "satellite navigation" 224, send to "car", and send to "phone". By selecting the satellite navigation option 224, the option box 222 presents a send to satellite navigation sub-option 226 that allows the user to select the brand of the navigation device (assuming the search provider (google in this example) wishes to support more than one brand of navigation equipment), such as tomtom. In this regard, an "add to tomtom" button 228 is displayed in the options box 222, and in this example is selected by the user (step 302).

The "add to tomtom" icon 228 has an "add satellite navigation API" address Uniform Resource Indicator (URI), sometimes referred to as a Universal Resource Locator (URL) in this context for the "addto. Information about the selected address that the user wishes to introduce into the navigation device 100 is included in this URI, which conforms to the Application Programming Interface (API) of the server 174 and is organized according to a first data structure definition, which in this example has the following arguments: api _ key (required), action (required), name location (optional), country (required), state (optional, U.S. required), city (required), zip code (optional), street (required), number (optional), belonging name (optional), and belonging flag (optional). The URI forms part of a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) command, HTTP being an example of a request/response communication protocol. Other possible attributes include: geographic location (longitude and latitude) and content type (POI, route, or voice).

For example, if the selected search result relates to an address of Amsterdam, the URI appended to the "Add Tom" button 228 may be:http://addto.tomtom.com/api/home/v1/addressaction＝add&api_key＝demoKey&countr y＝Netherlands&city＝Amsterdam&street＝Rembrandtplein&number＝35. By selecting "Add to Tom" button 228The browser transmits the request to tomtom server 174 using an HTTP GET request (step 304).

At tomtomtom server 174, server 174 receives the request and stores the "add to tom" request in database 178 for statistical analysis purposes (step 308). The client terminal 170 also opens a new window (step 308) and serves a tomtomtom "pop" or start page for addto. Thereafter, the server 174 searches the client terminal 170 to track information such as a cookie (step 312). In this example, the cookie relates to a device management application, such as tomtomtom HOME device management application published by tomtom international BV.

Referring to FIG. 8, if server 174 cannot find the Tom HOME cookie after the search (step 314), server 174 services a "check HOME" page that is displayed in new window 235 (step 316). In the check HOME page, a "back" button 230, a "no, download tomtom HOME" button 232, and a "yes, i have tom HOME" button 234 are presented. If the user selects the "Back" button 230 (step 318), then the new window 235 is closed and the "check HOME" page and the "ThomTang Bounce" page are no longer presented, leaving the user on the third party search provider's search results page. If the user selects the "NO, download Tom HOME" button 232 (step 320), the user is redirected to the www.tomtom.com/PLUS/HOME page in new window 235 (step 322), where more information about the Tom HOME device management application may be found and a copy of the device management application may be downloaded and installed by the user. Alternatively, if the user selects "Yes, I have Tom Home" button 234 (step 324), the server 174 will display a page (not shown) that allows the user to select the version of HOME installed on the client terminal 170 (step 326), for example, by selecting the image of the user interface of the installed version of the device management application, and the server 174 then sets the appropriate Tom Home cookie (step 328). Thereafter, the tomtom tom "bounce" page is again displayed (step 310), and tom HOME cookie is repeatedly checked as described above (step 312).

However, since the device management application has now been identified as installed on the client terminal 170 (step 330), the new window 235 contains an acknowledgement message 236 (fig. 9). If the name and/or logo of the home partner of the third party local search partner is included in the URL of the "Add to Tom Brohm" button 228, the name and/or logo may be displayed in the confirmation message. The home name is the name of the third party from which the location information (e.g., address) originated. The device management application is then initiated (step 332).

The server 174 then converts the request associated with the "add to tomtom" button 228 to an "address-URL" or device URI specific to the tom HOME device management application version installed on the client terminal 170, step 334, and the address-URL is then sent by the server 174 to the browser 200. In this example, the device URI is organized according to a second data structure definition and contains the command. The device URI is received by the device management application and, depending on the type of address command contained in the device URI sent by the server 174, the device management application shows the address on the map, plans a route to reach the address or adds the address to favorites. With regard to the latter course of action, if the location name is not contained in the "add to thomson" URI and thus the device URI, the device management application prompts the user for the name. Alternatively, the device management application responds to the received device URI by displaying an option box 238 (fig. 10), the option box 238 allowing the user to select between operating functions of the navigation device, such as navigation-related operations showing the geographic location 240 on a map and a route 242 planned to reach the address, or other functions such as adding the address to a "favorite" location 244 stored by the navigation device 100. Other operational functions include sending via SMS, showing on an online map, calling location, sending to friends, storing at an account, and/or correcting or enriching location.

The device management application then checks to determine if the navigation device 100 is connected, step 336, and if not, prompts the user to connect the navigation device 100 to the client terminal 170 via its USB port. The request contained in the device URI is then sent to the navigation device 100 and executed, step 338. Alternatively, if the user cannot or does not wish to connect the navigation device 100 to the client terminal 170, the device management application allows the user to defer the introduction into the navigation device 100 from reaching the client terminal 170, step 340, and queue or buffer the request, step 342, and execute the request the next time the navigation device 100 is connected to the client terminal 170. In the case of queuing multiple events or requests, the device management application sends the multiple events to the navigation device 100 in a cascade.

In another embodiment, the user performs a search on another third party local search website, in this example "goudengs. nl," which is a dutch language version of the english language yellow pages website 250 (fig. 11) (step 300). And searching the website to obtain the search result evaluated by the user. In this example, the user is looking for a museum in amsterdam, the netherlands.

In this example, website 250 provides a "select all" check box 252 and an individual check box 254 to allow the user to select a plurality of individual result items 256 and an "add to tomtom" button 258 to effectuate the introduction of the selected plurality of result items. In this regard, the "add to tom" button 258 contains an "add to satellite navigation API" multi-address command that is generated in response to selection of the "add to tom" button 258 (steps 302, 304). The URI generated by server 170 containing the location data corresponding to the selected result entry 256 is directed to the addto. Selection of the "add to tomtomtom" button 258 causes the server 274 to determine that multiple locations have been selected (step 344), and the POI creation page 346 is served to allow the user to manage the creation of a set of POIs including names of custom POI sets (by presetting the names of local search partners and summaries of search queries) and/or icons of POI sets (by presetting the icons of local search partners and icons of the originating location, if any). Once the user has finished creating the POI set, the server 174 stores the "add to tomtomtom" request relating to the POI set in the database 178 for analysis purposes, step 306, and performs the above-mentioned process with respect to initiating the device management application and ensuring, if possible, that the navigation device 100 is connected to the client terminal 170. Statistical analysis may be performed to monitor popularity trends, such as popularity for particular addresses, types of addresses (e.g., restaurants), and popularity for particular addresses sent by particular vendors.

In this example, the set of POI data is generated as an XML archive. After the URI has been received and the set of POIs has been generated, the server 174 generates a device URI that is sent to the device management application. The device management application responds to the device URI by introducing a set of POIs from the server 174 into the navigation device 100 in a similar manner to that described above in relation to introducing a single address, constituting an "installation link".

In another embodiment, the device management application 260 (FIG. 12) communicates directly with the server 150 in order to transmit the search query and receive the results, rather than via the browser 200 as described in the previous embodiments. In this regard, the main menu 262 of the device management application 260 includes a quick search box 265 for experienced users, where the user may type in search terms. The flag 266 immediately following the search box 264 indicates the local search partner being used, and selection of the local search partner's flag 265 reveals a drop-down list (not shown) of alternative local search partners. If desired, a preferred local search partner may be set in a preferred menu of tomtomtom HOME device management application 260. In addition, plug-ins (plug-in) may be used to add other partners.

Referring to FIG. 13, beginning at main menu 262 of device management application 260 (step 400), the user types a search term into quick search box 264 (step 402), constituting a search query indicating the nature ("what") and location ("where"), e.g., "pizza", "London" or "pizza", "Amsterdam". Of course, the user may include any number of additional search terms in order to further limit the search. The user then "checks for a return" and device management application 260 sends a content request to search provider's server 150 according to HTTP using the local search provider's API. The search results are then returned by server 150 and displayed in results panel 266 (FIG. 14) of device management application 260, step 404. Basic information for each address found is displayed in the results panel 266, with each result entry 268 having an "add to tomtom" button 270 immediately following it. Referring to FIG. 15, if the user "clicks" on one of the "Add Tom" buttons 270 associated with the result item of interest (step 406), more information 272 about the selected location is displayed (if available) (step 408), as well as various options for using location information about navigation, such as "show on map" button 274, "navigate to …" button 276, and "Add to favorites" button 278. In response to selection of one of the options 274, 276, 278, the device management application 260 checks whether the navigation device 100 is connected to the client terminal 170 and, if not, prompts the user to connect the navigation device 100. If the user cannot or does not wish to connect the navigation device 100 to the client terminal 170, the device management application 260 queues or buffers the request made by the user to defer the implementation of the request, which is sent to the navigation device 100 the next time the navigation device 100 is connected to the client terminal 170. As will be described later below, multiple events are queued and sent to the navigation device 100 in tandem in a manner similar to that already described above with respect to the previous embodiments.

In the case where the navigation device 100 is connected to the client terminal 170, the request made by the user is executed. In a first example, if the user has selected the "show on map" button 274, step 410, the device management application 260 initiates the device operation sub-application (FIG. 16) and displays the selected location on the map, step 412.

From the device operation sub-application, another "add to favorites" button 280 and another "navigate to …" button 282 are displayed, which enable the user to make the same remaining selections as were provided when more information 272 was being displayed in the previous screen presented by the device management application 260. In this regard, selection of the "add to favorites" button 278 or another "add to favorites" button 280 (step 414) results in the device management application 260 using the obtained location data to add the location data to the favorite location stored by the navigation device 100 (step 416). Similarly, selection of the "navigate to …" button 276 or another "navigate to …" button 282 (step 418) results in the device management application 260 using the obtained location data in order to calculate a route to the location corresponding to the selected location data (step 420).

In another embodiment (FIG. 17), the results panel 266 includes one or more "more info" links 284 for supplying additional information about the associated result entry 268. Selection of one of the "more info" links 284 causes the device management application 260 to display a screen 286 that contains rich information (in more detail) about the selected location and available from the search partner. The navigation options 274, 276, 278 mentioned above are again provided in the rich information screen 286.

In yet another embodiment, the device management application 260 operates from the main menu (in particular, from the second screen 288 of the main menu 262) (step 422) as an alternative to using the quick search box 264. In this regard, a second screen 288 of main menu 262 includes a "find location" button 290 selected by the user (step 424). Selection of the "find location" button 290 causes the device management application 260 to display a search query screen 292 (fig. 20) having a table-like structure (step 426) including a first data entry box 294 specifying the nature of the thing sought ("what thing") and a second data entry box 296 specifying the location ("where"), for example, "pizza", "london" or "pizza", "amsterdam" as described above with respect to previous embodiments. This information is entered into the first and second data entry boxes 294, 296 (step 428), and the user then "clicks" on the "find" button 298 adjacent to the first and second data entry boxes 294, 296. The device management application 260 then sends the content request to the search provider's server 150 using the API for the local search provider. As will be expected, after processing by the server 150, the search results are then returned by the server 150 and displayed in the results panel 266 (FIG. 14) of the device management application 260 (step 404) in a manner similar to that already described above with respect to the previous embodiment involving the quick search box 264. Thereafter, the operation of the device management application 260 is as described above with respect to the previous embodiment involving the quick search box 264, and thus will not be described in further detail herein for brevity and clarity of description.

In another embodiment (fig. 21), when the results panel 266 is displayed by the device management application 260, the device management application 260 supports the selection of multiple locations to create a set of POIs. In this regard, the user interface of device management application 260 provides individual checkboxes 291, one adjacent each result entry 268, and (optionally) "select all" buttons or checkboxes (not shown). A "create POI from selected" button 293 is displayed in results screen 266, selection of "create POI from selected" button 293 causes device management application 260 to display a special customization screen that provides customization options, the availability and scope of which depend on what is permitted by the third party local search partner. In one example, the customized screen allows the user to name a set of POIs (by presetting the names of local search partners and summaries of search queries) and/or to select one or more icons for the set of POIs (by presetting the icons of local search partners and the icon of the originating location, if any). The custom screen may also allow the user to select whether the POI set to be created should contain rich information (in more detail).

In another embodiment, wherein in any of the embodiments described above the navigation device 100 is not connected to the client terminal 170, the server 150 provides the user with the option of sending the location data Over The Air (OTA) directly to the navigation device 100 via the browser 200 or the device management application 260 (steps 348, 350). In one example, the navigation device 100 is capable of wireless communication with an "engaged" communication apparatus (e.g., a wireless communication device such as a cellular telephone). Assuming that the wireless communication device is contactable, the server 150 sends the requested location information to the wireless communication device for communication to the navigation device 100 and subsequent introduction into the navigation device 100. In this regard, the location data is communicated by the server 150 to any suitable data transmission gateway to communicate the location data to the navigation device 100, the location data being organized according to suitable data structure definitions to permit wireless communication with the navigation device 100.

In another example, the navigation device 100 is provided with an internal wireless data communication device and has a subscription associated therewith. If communication with the navigation device 100 is possible over a wireless communication network, such as when the navigation device 100 is capable of receiving data and enjoys sufficient reception, the server 150 initially attempts to establish communication with the navigation device 100 (step 352). If the navigation device 100 is able to receive the data when the server 150 wishes to send the location data, the location importation data is sent directly to the navigation device 100 for importation (step 354). Alternatively, if connectivity with the navigation device 100 is not possible, step 356, the server 150 sends the location importation data to the server 174 for buffering. When the navigation device 100 subsequently returns to the connectivity state, the navigation device 100 downloads the location importation data from the server 174, or the data is "pushed" by the server 174 for subsequent importation by the navigation device 100.

In another embodiment, the navigation device 100 is once again provided with an internal wireless data communication device as mentioned above, and has a subscription associated therewith. Of course, those skilled in the art will appreciate that a bonded wireless communication device may similarly be used if the navigation device 100 does not possess an internal wireless communication device and associated Subscriber Identity Module (SIM). In this regard, the application software of the navigation device 100 is arranged such that it is capable of communicating a search request to the server 150, and wirelessly receiving the results of the search request. To this end, the user interface of the application software includes additional screens to allow the user to enter a search query, and to wirelessly handle the transfer of the query and search results.

By using application software 136, a user can search for an address using the user interface of application software 136, application software 136 can operate according to the search service provider's API associated with server 150. The navigation device 100 is arranged to use the results of a search query received seamlessly from the server 150 to tap into all appropriate features of the application software 136 (e.g. "add to favorite" or "navigate to"). Additionally, in this example, the application software 136 provides the user with a tool to select multiple locations from the received search results and create a set of POIs according to the selected results, the user being able to install the set of POIs into the navigation device 100.

In a further embodiment, the web browser 200 of the first embodiment described above is provided with a plug-in constituting a position data processing apparatus. The plug-in includes a data enrichment module 171 that, when installed, scans content received from the server 150 for candidate location information (e.g., addresses). When candidate location information is identified, the plug-in extracts data from the candidate location information corresponding to a field of a data structure definition of the location importation data, which is similar to the data structure definition described above with respect to the previous embodiments. The extracted data is organized according to the data structure definition. The plug-in then enriches the received content by incorporating (optionally) an object (e.g., an "add to tomtom" button 500). The object 500 is associated with location importation data, for example a request in the form of an HTTP GET request to the server 174, the request including the URI: or to the server 174 or a device URI of the type described in the previous embodiments for direct introduction. The selection of the type of URI to be used depends on whether the server 174 is to be used or not. The object and location data are embedded by the plug-in such that the object appears below, adjacent to, or opposite the address data, and thus is visually recognizable as being associated with the address data.

In this example, the plug-in is of the auto-crawler type, which therefore scans the web pages visited by the user and attempts to recognize the standard address format in the content being downloaded in transit (on-the-fly), and embeds the "add to tomtom" button 500 and associated link into the server 174. Examples of standard address formats include (but are not limited to): HTML card (H card), Keyhole Markup Language (KML), and GeoRSS. In another example, the plug-in may optionally provide the user with the ability to identify address data, e.g., using a mouse of the client terminal 170, and select address data for the plug-in to process in order to generate the object and/or associated location data.

The location importation data can be ready for direct importation by device management application 260. Alternatively, the location importation data can include an optional HTTP request to the server 174 to convert the location importation data into a form compatible with direct importation.

The processed location information received from the server 174 may then be used by the device management application 260 in the manner described above with respect to the operation of the navigation device 100 (e.g., with respect to the "add to favorite," "navigate to," and "show on map" functions described above).

When the device management application 260 checks for updates (e.g. when the user upgrades), the plug-in may be downloaded, for example, from a website of the manufacturer of the navigation device 100 or via the device management application 260. Similarly, when device management application 260 is installed again, the user is then prompted by device management application 260 and provided with the option to install a plug-in. Although not specifically stated above, it should be appreciated that a location data processing apparatus may be provided in the other embodiments described above, in order to avoid situations where the server 150 generates location importation data that conforms to the first data structure definition, or the server 150 is unable to generate such data. Similarly, in some cases, it may be desirable to avoid the server 174 generating location importation data that conforms to the second data structure definition. In this regard, the data enrichment module may be implemented in the device management application and/or the navigation apparatus 100.

Thus, it can be seen from the above example that the location importation data can be provisioned to or generated locally at the client terminal, which is any suitable computing apparatus, such as a client terminal supporting a device management application or navigation device. As used in the above embodiments, the location importation data can be generated in a first form conforming to a first data structure definition and a second form conforming to a second data structure definition. In this regard, the first form may be generated by the server 150, or may be generated locally, so that a subsequent conversion of at least a portion of the location importation data for obtaining into an importable form (i.e., the second form) may be effected. As an alternative to supplying the location importation data, the location importation data may be generated locally in the second form by the location data processing apparatus together with a browser of the client terminal, a device management application or application software of the navigation device.

The location importation data of the second form can be used directly by the navigation device or by a device management application in order to import location data into the navigation device.

Although the use of HTTP as a request/response communication protocol has been described herein, those skilled in the art will appreciate that File Transfer Protocol (FTP) may be used (if it is convenient to do so). Also, the above configuration may be used to block reception of location information from a particular author.

The above techniques may be used as part of a shared revenue scheme, for example, to share advertising revenue between a data provider (e.g., a provider of search engine services, etc.) and a manufacturer of navigation equipment (e.g., the navigation device 100 and/or a party providing the services of the location data delivery server 174). Additionally, third parties providing data retrieval services (e.g., search services) or third parties associated with location importation data can be provided with greater visibility on the navigation device 100, for example, by displaying logos and/or rich information in exchange for consideration. This tool may be provided to advertisers by providers of data retrieval services, and a premium may be charged for the tool provided to the advertisers, thereby providing a greater range of revenue sharing.

It will also be appreciated that whilst various aspects and embodiments of the present invention have been described heretofore, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the particular arrangements set out herein, but extends to encompass all arrangements within the scope of the appended claims, as well as modifications and variations thereof.

For example, although the above embodiments have been described with respect to a server 150 supporting search engine services, those skilled in the art will appreciate that this is a simplified scheme and that any suitable hardware and/or software configuration may be implemented to support search engine services for simplicity and clarity of description.

Although the embodiments described in the foregoing detailed description relate to GPS, it should be noted that the navigation device may utilize any kind of location sensing technology as an alternative to GPS, or indeed location sensing technologies other than GPS. For example, the navigation device may utilize other global navigation satellite systems such as the european galileo system. Likewise, navigation devices are not limited to satellite-based but may readily function using ground-based beacons or any other kind of system that enables the device to determine its geographic location.

Alternative embodiments of the invention can be implemented as a computer program product for use with a computer system, the computer program product being, for example, a series of computer instructions stored on a tangible data recording medium, such as a diskette, CD-ROM, or fixed disk, or embodied in a computer data signal, the signal being transmitted over a tangible medium or a wireless medium, such as microwave or infrared. The series of computer instructions may constitute all or part of the functionality described above, and may also be stored in any memory device (volatile or non-volatile), such as a semiconductor, magnetic, optical, or other memory device.

Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that while the preferred embodiment implements certain functionality by way of software, the functionality could equally be implemented in hardware alone, for example by way of one or more Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), or indeed by a mixture of hardware and software. Thus, the scope of the invention should not be construed as limited to implementation in software.

Finally, it should also be noted that although the appended claims set forth particular combinations of features described herein, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the particular combinations hereinafter claimed, but rather extends to cover any combination of features or embodiments disclosed herein, regardless of whether or not the particular combinations are specifically recited in the appended claims at the time.

Claims (25)

1. A position data processing apparatus, comprising:

a data enrichment module arranged to receive, in use, content generated in response to a content request; wherein

The data enrichment module is arranged to embed location importation data in the content prior to rendering the content, the location importation data being organized according to a data structure definition.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data enrichment module is arranged to analyse the content and identify candidate location information therein, the data enrichment module further being arranged to generate the location importation data in dependence on the candidate location information.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the data enrichment module is arranged to extract data from the candidate location information and to organize the extracted data according to the data structure definition, the data corresponding to fields of the data structure definition.

4. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein at least a portion of the location importation data is encoded as a Uniform Resource Indicator (URI).

5. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the data structure definition conforms to an Application Programming Interface (API) of a server.

6. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the data enrichment module is arranged to embed an object in the content associated with the location importation data, the object providing a visible indication of the presence of location information introducible into a navigation apparatus and associated with a geographical location shown in the content.

7. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the location importation data is compatible with an importation process of a device management application and/or navigation apparatus.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the location importation data comprises a request according to a request/response communication protocol.

9. A client terminal device, comprising:

a processing resource arranged to support a location data processing apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims; and

a communication interface for transmitting a content request to a content server; wherein

The processing resource is arranged to support a user interface for receiving information relating to the content request.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

a browser application supported by the user interface for providing a data collection interface for collecting the information related to the content request; wherein

The browser application is arranged to present the received content as modified by the data enrichment module.

11. The apparatus of any of the preceding claims, wherein the data enrichment module is a browser plug-in.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10 or claim 11, wherein the data enrichment module is arranged to receive identification information via an input device, the identification information identifying at least a portion of the content received and relating to a geographical location, the data enrichment module being arranged to generate location importation data in respect of the portion of the received content and in response to provision of the identification information.

13. The apparatus of any of claims 1-9, further comprising:

a device management application for managing an externally connectable navigation device, the device management application being arranged to provide, in use, a data collection interface for collecting the information relating to the content request; wherein

The device management application is arranged to present the received content as modified by the data enrichment module.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the device management application is arranged to determine whether a navigation device is coupled to the client terminal apparatus.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the device management application is arranged to introduce at least part of the location introduction data into the navigation device in response to the navigation device being detected as coupled to the client terminal apparatus.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the device management application is arranged to queue the at least part of the location importation data for subsequent importation into the navigation device in response to the navigation device being detected as disconnected from the client terminal apparatus.

17. The apparatus of any of claims 1-9, further comprising:

a navigation application of a navigation apparatus, the navigation application being arranged to provide, in use, a data collection interface for collecting the information relating to the content request; wherein

The navigation application is arranged to present the received content as modified by the data enrichment module.

18. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processing resource is arranged via the user interface to present a plurality of geographic locations and to permit a user to select more than one of the plurality of geographic locations to provide an indication of a set of points of interest.

19. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 or claim 9 or claim 18, wherein the location importation data identifies a server for converting the location importation data into an importable format organized according to another data structure definition usable by the client terminal apparatus for importation.

20. An apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein the processing resource is arranged to communicate the selected more than one of the plurality of geographical locations to the server for processing and subsequent receipt of the location importation data corresponding to the set of points of interest.

21. An apparatus as claimed in claim 19, when dependent on claim 9, wherein the location importation data is arranged to cause a browser application to open a start page in response to selection of the location importation data.

22. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the processing resource is arranged to communicate a request to a server in response to a user selection of the location importation data, the request being indicative of a request to wirelessly communicate information corresponding to at least a portion of the location importation data from the server to a navigation apparatus for importation into the navigation apparatus.

23. A method of introducing location information into a navigation device, the method comprising:

transmitting a request for content from a client terminal to a server;

accessing and processing data to service the request for content, the content including candidate location information corresponding to a geographic location;

generating location importation data relating to said candidate location information, said location data being organized according to a data structure definition; and

embedding the location importation data in the content.

24. A computer program element comprising computer program code means to make a computer execute the method according to any of the claims 23.

25. The computer program element of claim 24, embodied on a computer-readable medium.