KR20070017147A - Methods for displaying a route traveled by mobile users in a communication network - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is directed to an improved system and procedure for allowing a user to post a route to another mobile user or to himself. In one embodiment, the user of the vehicle 26a records and transmits the route traveled using his user interface 51 to the second user of the second user 26b or later himself. The route may be displayed on the map as text or as an audible broadcast. In an alternative embodiment, the root can be left by a non-mobile user, for example for a mobile user using a home computer.

Communication user interface, confirm button, telematic unit, transport bus interface, mobile user

Description

Methods for displaying a route traveled by mobile users in a communication network

The present invention relates to a system and method for transmitting and receiving routes in a communication network.

This application relates to the following co-pending and generally assigned patent application, filed concurrently with this application and fully incorporated by reference. In other words:

United States Application No. 10 / 818,077, filed concurrently with the present application, entitled "Selectively Enabling Communications at a User Interface Using a Profile."

US Application No. 10 / 818,109, filed concurrently with the present application, entitled "Method for Enabling Communications Depedent on User Location, User-Specified Location, or Orientation", Representative Document No. TC00168.

US Application No. 10 / 818,078, filed concurrently with the present application, entitled "Method for Sending Messages Based on the Location of Mobile Users in a Communication Network", Representative Document No. TC00169.

US Application No. 10 / 818,267, filed concurrently with the present application, entitled "Conversion of Calls from an Ad Hoc Communication Network", Representative Document No. TC00172.

US Application No. 10 / 818,381, filed concurrently with the present application, entitled "Method for Entering a Personalized Communication User Interface", Representative Document No. TC00173.

US Application No. 10 / 818,079, filed concurrently with the application and entitled "Methods and Systems for Controlling Communications in an Ad Hoc Communication Network", Representative Document No. TC00174.

US Application No. 10 / 818,299, filed at the same time as the present application, entitled "Methods for Controlling Processing of Inputs to a Vehicle Wireless Communication Interface", agent document number TC00175.

US Application No. 10 / 818,080, filed concurrently with the present application, entitled "Methods for Controlling Processing of Outputs to a Vehicle Wireless Communication Interface", Representative Document No. TC00176.

US Application No. 10 / 818,076, filed concurrently with the present application, entitled "Programmable Foot Switch Useable in a Communications User Interface in a Vehicle", Representative Document No. TC00177.

Communication systems, and in particular wireless communication systems, have become more complex to provide consumers with improved functionality for communicating with each other. The increased functionality is particularly useful in the automotive field and vehicles are equipped with communication systems with improved audio (voice) wireless communication capabilities. For example, On Star ^™ is a well known communication system recently used in vehicles and allows vehicle occupants to operate a switch to establish a telephone call with another (such as a service center).

It is also known in management systems to communicate with a vehicle including a central terminal capable of tracking the progress or route of a particular user or vehicle. For example, U.S. Patent Application No. 09 / 995,231 (published as 2003/0100326) discloses a transmission system, which contains a route for movement of emergency response vehicles (police, emergency vehicles, etc.) coupled to the communication system. It can be displayed at the terminal of.

However, the application does not disclose or suggest sending the route routed to a particular user coupled to the communication system. Instead, the route is simply broadcasted automatically from the members of the group. However, it is not always acceptable. For example, in a commercial vehicle-based communication system, many members (possibly hundreds) may be logged at a time. However, a particular member may only be interested in sharing route information with one particular other user, such as his spouse, friend or business associate. In that sense, sharing of route information moved by a user may provide great utility to that particular other user, but does not benefit all other users who communicate with the system. For example, a user may want to display the route he goes to a restaurant to have dinner with his wife; Or he can leave a route from the airport to the business meeting for his business associate to join him later. However, the user can also discover the benefits when leaving the route information to himself. For example, suppose a user is outside of the city for business, and wants to attend an evening event far from the hotel. The user can capture the route taken to the evening event so that the route can be followed upside down by the user to find his hotel later.

Therefore, in a vehicle-based (or other) communication system, it is convenient for the moved route of the first user to be stored and transmitted to another specified system user or first user. There is also a need for a communication system that further includes flexibility for a user to dynamically create, store, and transmit the moved route. Several other means of doing that at the disclosure are presented.

Therefore, it is desirable to provide an improved procedure for sending and receiving routes in a communication network.

1 is a block diagram of a wireless vehicle communication system.

2 is a block diagram of a control system for a wireless vehicle communication system.

3 is a diagram illustrating a route illustrated by a first vehicle and a method of positioning along the route;

4A-4B illustrate an embodiment of a user interface for posting routing to another system user.

5 is a diagram illustrating route transmission and storage of two vehicles and one vehicle from another vehicle in wireless communication.

6A-6B illustrate an embodiment of a method for displaying a route sent to a recipient vehicle.

7 is a diagram illustrating one method of posting a route from a home computer to a mobile user.

While the invention is capable of various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are described in detail herein. However, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific forms disclosed. Rather, the invention covers all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Described below is an improved system and method for transmitting and receiving routes in a communication network. In one embodiment, the user uses his user interface to record and send the route to the second user or later himself. The recipient receives the route according to his user ID and other specified parameters or messages left by the initial user. The route may be displayed on the map as text or as an audible broadcast. In an alternative embodiment, the root can be left by a non-mobile user, for example for a mobile user using a home computer.

At present, an example of setting the present invention to an automobile is described. 1 illustrates an example vehicle-based communication system 10. In that system, vehicle 26 is equipped with a wireless communication device 22, which is described in more detail below. The communication device 22 may transmit and receive voice (ie, call), data (text or SMS data), and / or video. Therefore, the device 22 may wirelessly transmit or receive such form of information to a transceiver or base station coupled to the wireless network 28. Moreover, the wireless communication device can receive information from satellite communication. Eventually, the network is coupled to the public switched telephone network (PSTN) 38, the Internet, or other communication networks on the route to the server 24, which ultimately serves as the communication host of the communication system 10 and may have a communication server. Can be. In addition to managing communications between vehicles 26 wirelessly connected to the system, the server 24 also provides other services such as emergency services 34 or other information services 36 (such as restaurant services, directory assistance, etc.). May be part of the service center provided to (26).

A detailed description of the general wireless communication device 22 used in the vehicle 26 is shown in FIG. 2. In one embodiment, the device 22 is provided with two main components: the head unit 50 and the telematic control unit 40. The head unit 50 interfaces with or includes the user interface 51, and when the vehicle occupant communicates with the system 10 or another vehicle coupled to the system, the user interface 51. Interact For example, the microphone 68 can be used to select the caller's voice of the vehicle and / or command the head unit 50 when mounting the voice recognition module 70. The keypad 72 may also be used to provide user input, and the switch of the keypad 72 may be dedicated to a particular function (such as a push-to-talk switch, which is a switch that receives mapping information, etc.) or by a user interface. Select the option provided.

The head unit 50 also includes a navigation unit 62, which generally includes a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) to accurately represent vehicle position, which is useful when associating vehicle position with mapping information provided by the system. As you know, the navigation unit communicates with the GPS satellites via the receiver. There is also a positioning unit 66 which is also useful for determining the direction in which the vehicle is pointed (north, northeast, etc.) and for mapping the progress of the vehicle along the route.

Eventually, user and system inputs execute a process in the head unit 50 and provide an output 54 to the occupant of the vehicle, such as through a speaker 78 or display 79 coupled to the head unit 50. Processed by controller 56. The speaker 78 used may be an audio (wireless) speaker commonly found in a vehicle, and generally four or more in the vehicle, only one is shown for convenience. Further, in an alternative embodiment, output 54 provides the option to include a text in the currency converter to hear the audible output of the text included in the group communication channel being monitored by the user. This audio feature is particularly advantageous in mobile environments where the user is driving a vehicle. The memory 64 is also coupled to the controller 56 to assist it in performing input and output definitions to the system. The controller 56 also communicates via the transport bus interface 58 to the transport bus 60 to carry communication information and other vehicle travel data through the vehicle.

The telematic control unit 40 is similarly coupled to the transportation bus 60 via the transportation bus interface 48 and then to the head unit 50. The telematic control unit 40 is essential for transmitting and receiving voice or data communications wirelessly to and from the vehicle, ie to and from the rest of the communication system 10. Therefore, it includes a telematics controller 46 for configuring the communication, and a network access device (NAD) 42 including a wireless transceiver. Although shown as a separate configuration, those skilled in the art will recognize that the head unit 50 and the telematic control unit 40, and aspects of the configuration, can be combined or swapped.

Wireless communication device 22 may provide significant communication flexibility within vehicle 26. For example, a passenger of the first vehicle 26a may press a switch on the keypad 72 of the head unit 50 or simply talk to speak with the passenger when the head recognition unit is equipped with the voice recognition module 70. May call the second vehicle 26b. In one embodiment, pressing the switch or talking to the voice recognition module initiates the cellular telephone call with the second vehicle 26b. In that case, the users of the first vehicle 26a or the second vehicle 26b can talk to each other without additional switch presses. The system may also be configured to include a voice operated circuit, such as a voice activated switch (VAS) or a voice operated transmit (VOX). It also provides hands-free operation of the system by the user in communication with other users.

In alternative embodiments, the switch may be configured to establish push-to-talk communication over the cellular network. Here, the controller 56 transmits audio by the occupant of the first vehicle 26a through the microphone 68 when the user of the first vehicle 26a presses the push-to-torque switch. Is transmitted only through). The controller 56 is also configured to listen to the audio received from the second vehicle 26b (or the server 24) only through the speaker 78 when the driver of the first vehicle 26a has not pressed the switch. . Alternatively, to avoid the need to press the switch to talk, the system can be configured to allow the user to press the button for a first time to transmit audio and to press the button for a second time to receive audio. have.

In some cases, the user of the second vehicle 26b may communicate in reverse to the first vehicle 26a in a similar fashion, and the voice of that speaker is heard in the speaker 78 of the first vehicle. Alternatively, the occupant of the first vehicle 26a calls the server 24 to receive the service. In addition, the system 10 may have utilities outside the environment of vehicle-based applications, and may have utilities specifically for other portable devices (cell phones, personal data assistants, and the like). Therefore, the use of the system in the environment of vehicle communication is for illustration only.

3 illustrates two mobile vehicles 26a and 26b in communication with a transceiver tower or base station 106 forming part of the communication system 10. The two vehicles have a user interface 51 as already described. In this embodiment, the first vehicle 26a arrives at the destination 108 and wishes to record and transmit the route he traveled to the second vehicle 26b, so that the second vehicle 26b is the first vehicle 26a. ) And / or follow the route to find the destination 108.

 The location of the vehicles 26a and 26b (and other users connected to the system 10) is tracked by the server 24. In this regard, the telematics control unit 40 automatically transmits information about the position (eg, latitude / longitude) and identity of the vehicle to the server 24 in units of cycles. Location information is provided by the navigation unit 62 (FIG. 2). US Patent Application Serial No. 10 / 818,078, entitled "Methods for Sending Messages Based on the Location of Mobile Users in a Communication Network" [agent document TC00169], to which identity information is filed concurrently with this application and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. User ID for the user of the first vehicle logged into the system as disclosed, or telephone number, “handle” Vehicle Identification (VIN), Electronic Serial Number (ESN) as already noted. , An International Mobile Subscriber Number (IMSI), and a Mobile Subscriber International ISDN Number (MSISDN). Alternatively, the controller 56 can cause the navigation unit 62 to transmit location and identity information about a given vehicle in user-specific units.

When transmitting wirelessly to server 24, location and identity information for a particular vehicle can be formatted in many ways. For example, a header containing that information can be used in a predictable format so that the header is easily interpreted by the server 24. At the server 24 at a time, as will be described in more detail below, the information is preferably decompiled to understand various pieces of information, and then sent to file 122 for final transmission to users of the system. Stored (see FIG. 5).

Once the location and identity of a particular user are known, one may implement the root-displaying features of the present disclosure. Returning to the example of FIG. 3, assume that the first vehicle 26a decides at point 110 to map a route going to the destination 108 for the second vehicle 26b. At that point, the user of the first vehicle can use the user interface 51 in his vehicle to initiate route tracking. It can be done in many different ways, as illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B. After the user of the first vehicle 26a activates the route tracking feature using the menu of his display 79, he is eventually prompted to enter information about the designated recipient of the route as shown in FIG. 4A. In this example, the first vehicle 26a user is tracked using the system user ID of the designated recipient (i.e., the second vehicle-[user ID2]), and the switch 113 on the user interface 51 of that vehicle. Other relevant information about the property can be entered, which is similar to the schemes used in this example to enter names and numbers into the cell phone.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the user may enter or specify other characteristics such as the date, time, time period, and / or date / time when the posting expires on server 24 to finally post a route to the second vehicle. have. It is a benefit if the first vehicle 26a knows that the traveled route is valid for the second vehicle 26b only over a limited time frame. Although not in the specification of the first vehicle 26a, the posted route may be caused by the server 24 to expire at set time. Detailed descriptions of posting times / dates, etc. are disclosed in US Patent Application Serial No. 10 / 818,078 (Agency Document TC00169), supra-associated with the name "Method for Sending Messages Based on the Location of Mobile Users in a Communication Network".

4A shows that the tracking method in which the first vehicle is used can be specified. For example, once the route tracking is used, the location information of the first vehicle 26a can be reported to the server on a periodic basis. The controller 56 knows when it has passed a predetermined time or distance interval, including the clock or in communication with the clock and including the odometer over the transport bus 60 or in communication with the odometer. In that regard, the controller 56 may cause the telematic control unit 40 to transmit the location information about the first vehicle 26a to the server in its designated (time or distance) period. In the periodic distance reported, the transmitted location information corresponds to the circle 111 of FIG. 3. In another embodiment, the controller 50 of the first vehicle may be adapted to transmit location information from the navigation unit 62, where the first vehicle 26a actually performs its heading, trajectory or orientation. Change. In FIG. 2, the head unit 50 includes a positioning unit 66 capable of detecting the heading (deviation in the north, etc.) of the first vehicle, so that the controller 56 has a significant heading change (eg For example, a change of 30 degrees or more during a predetermined time period may be found and then the location information of the first vehicle may be reported, and the first vehicle is the rectangle 112 of FIG.

Although it is advantageous to run automatically after initiating the route tracking process, in another embodiment, the user of the first vehicle 26a may manually define the route location sent to the second vehicle 26b. In this embodiment, the user of the first vehicle 26a can simply press a button in the user interface, as indicated by the triangle 113 in FIG. 3, to indicate its position at any point along its route. Otherwise, the location data point is processed by the system as well as the point where it is automatically generated.

Further, in the embodiment where the user of the first vehicle 26a can manually press the button along the route to indicate the location, the user may display a message such as "turn right" or "go straight" at the intersection with each displayed location. It can also be combined. The message type may be a token that is set in advance on the keypad 72 of the user interface 51 or may be an audio message recorded simultaneously with the indicated position.

In the system described above, a specific point along the route is determined and periodically sent to the server 24 along with the combined message or data. In an alternative embodiment the controller 56 of the head unit 50 may locally store a plurality of points along the root of the memory 64, including the combined messages or data. After the first vehicle 26a completed its route, the controller 56 could send a plurality of points with the combined message or data to the server 24 for subsequent use by another user. Further, in another embodiment, memory 64 may include a removable storage medium that allows a user of first vehicle 26a to store points and data along a route and transfer the data to a home personal computer. have.

4B illustrates an alternative means for entering route tracking information. In this embodiment, the multifunction button 114 combined with the display 79 is used to enter the user ID of the designated recipient, adjust the posting time, select the tracking method, and the like. The default setting, such as causing the user ID to be displayed, may be that the first vehicle 26a has already contacted or they have already contacted the first vehicle and may be retrieved from memory (such as memory 64). . Also shown is a button 114 for starting and stopping tracking, ie, the user of the first vehicle 26a can push in position 110 (start) and 108 (stop) (FIG. 3).

Once the location data point indicative of the route, the designated recipient and other posting information have been entered into the user interface 51 of the first vehicle 26a, the information is passed via the telematic unit 40 and finally via 60. It is sent by the controller 56 to the server 24. As shown in Fig. 5, the server 24 is configured with other route details such as the system ID code (user ID1) of the sending user, the system ID code (user ID2) of the receiver, and the post / expiration time and date of the message. The route information is stored as a series of location points along with the selected tracking method. When transmitting wirelessly to the server 24, the route and its combined information can be formatted in a number of ways. For example, the transmission may construct a header in a predictable format that includes location data points, user IDs, posting data / time, etc. so that they are easily interpreted by the server 24. At the server 24 at a time, the information is preferably decompiled to understand various pieces of information and stored in file 122.

As can be seen from above, the vehicle communication system can automatically track the vehicle position by periodically transmitting position data from the vehicle to the server 24. Thus, using the route tracking feature using the user interface 51 is not necessarily the only way to send location data to the server. Indeed, the use of route tracking information does not need to modify the way the vehicle automatically broadcasts location data, but instead replaces that data, such as the user ID of the designated recipient and the time to start and stop route tracking. You can simply provide extra information. In addition, the transmission of the user ID (or other related tracking information) does not necessarily occur at the same time as the position information is transmitted. Two (location data and user ID) can later be correlated to the server so that the root and its designated recipients are known enough. In this regard, the idea of transmitting the position data and the user ID to the server 24 should be understood so as not necessarily to make two simultaneous transmissions.

At that point, server 24 may calculate other information that would be useful when the route was obtained from second vehicle 26a. For example, in one embodiment described further below, it is useful not to display or broadcast all routes (all location data points) at once in the user interface 51 of the second vehicle 26b. Instead, it is desirable to highlight the route from point to point, and each successive point is displayed or broadcast when the second vehicle 26b actually approaches the point immediately preceding it. Thus, the server 24 may, depending on the user's preferences, around each of the route positions posted by the first vehicle 26a (see FIG. 3 showing several areas 125 around the circular position), as shown in FIG. 5. The area 125 can be calculated at to form and store the area. The scheme for doing so is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 10 / 818,078 (Agency Document TC00169), supra-associated with the name "Method for Sending Messages Based on the Location of Mobile Users in a Communication Network," and is not repeated herein. .

Once the route information is received at the server 24, it is sent to the user interface 51 of the second vehicle 26b. It is easy because the preferred embodiment's system keeps track of the location and identity of the user connected to it, although it may be selectable to the user. Therefore, the server 24 checks to see if the second vehicle 26b (i.e., user ID2) is coupled to the system, and route information from the first vehicle (user ID1) is transmitted to it. Once the route of the first vehicle is completed, it may wait for the server 24 to transmit, but in a preferred embodiment they send the location data point to the second vehicle 26 as much as possible, which causes the second vehicle to route the route formed. Making it visible, it is useful if the second vehicle does not lie too far behind the first vehicle.

Route information received at the user interface 51 of the second vehicle 26b may be displayed or broadcast in a number of ways. For example, as shown in FIG. 6A, the data points 140 corresponding to the first vehicle positions (positions 1, 2, 3, etc.) can be superimposed on other standard navigation map pin systems on the display 79 of the user interface. have. Such a mapping system can be present in the memory 64 of the head unit 50 or can be located in the server 24 to generate a suitable map and broadcast it to the user. The displayed map may include other helpful items to the second user, such as a street name, an icon representing the current location of the second vehicle 26b shown, and the like. In addition, the second vehicle 26b can simultaneously receive route information from potential users and multiple users of the system, and the displayed route is labeled as the transmitting user ID (user ID1). Again, if a particular posting / expiration time, date, or period is specified by the first user, server 24 broadcasts its route according to that parameter.

It is desirable to change or update the displayed route in response to the progress of the second vehicle 26b along the route. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6A, the displayed route point may change while the second vehicle 26b approaches or clears them. Means for accessing whether the point is reached or cleared are discussed above with respect to the formation of the area 125 as described above (see FIG. 3). Thus, as shown, the marker for the points, when they arrive or clear, change to a visible form, ie from hollow circle 140b to full circle 140a. Of course, many other schemes may be used to proceed along the route, and the disclosed schemes are for illustration only. For example, the point reached or cleared can simply be deleted from the display 79 of the second vehicle. However, although the route needs to be retrieved again later by the second user, it can be stored in the memory 64 in the head unit 60.

The displayed route point need not exactly correspond to the position data (positions 1, 2, 3, etc., posted by the first vehicle 26a, see FIG. 5). Instead, the server 24 (or the head unit 50 of the second vehicle) may generate new points 140 for display in the second user interface using the position data from the second vehicle 26b. It would benefit, for example, if the two consecutive positions left by the first vehicle 26a are too far to help the second vehicle 26b to navigate multiple turns between those points. Not helpful when giving In such a case, with the aid of the mapping program, the server 24 or the head unit 50 can be inserted between the two points, generating additional points to assist in navigation by the second vehicle 26b. do. In this regard, it is understood that when the present disclosure transmits position data and later receives the position data, the transmitted and received position data need not be identical.

Route information sent to the second vehicle 26b need not be displayed on the map. For example, as shown in Fig. 6B, in relation to a mapping program as discussed above, the route can be changed in the direction in which the location data follows the second user. Progress along that route may also be displayed as by the use of the shown confirmation symbol. Alternatively, the route may also be broadcast through the speaker 78 of the user interface in the second vehicle prior to the required rotation by the second vehicle 26b. Such root audio broadcast can also be performed by displaying other useful information on the display 79. The posting / expiration time, date, or period may be displayed or broadcast in the user interface 51 of the second vehicle, if desired. The posting of the direction can be used in conjunction with the map of FIG. 6A as shown by the use of the direction window 150, informing the second vehicle of the next turn that needs to follow the route.

When route information is first sent to the second vehicle 26b, a kind of route notification indicator is broadcast to the second user, such as a flashing indicator on the display, or an audible signal is directed to the speaker 79, such as "beep." Broadcast via The indicator may be selectable by the second user so that the route may be displayed or broadcast at a time convenient for the second user. In addition, the user interface 51 of the second vehicle needs a second vehicle and inputs a personal identification code such as a personal identification number (PIN) prior to receiving its route. Like any other in the system, the PIN can be entered textually by pressing a button or by voice recognition. When verifying the PIN at the server 24 (or at the controller 56), the route may be sent by the server 24 to the user interface 51, or if it has already been transmitted, become operable for display or transmission. Can be.

It is also desirable for the second user to provide some kind of confirmation to the first user who received the server and / or its root. The confirmation can occur in a number of different formats. The second user may press the confirm button 114 on his user interface 51 as shown in FIG. 6B, at which point the server records the confirmation and sends the same to the first vehicle 26a to the first user. It can be seen that his route has been received and / or followed. The confirmation may also be sent when the second user selects the route notification indicator, as just discussed. Confirmation can also occur point by point, and separate confirmation occurs with each location point that allows the second user to access or clear. This form of confirmation allows the first user to see the progress of the second vehicle 26b along the route. Upon receipt of the confirmation by the server 24, the file of the route can be deleted there, which causes it to be reviewed by the second vehicle for some time by the head unit 50 of the second vehicle 26b. May remain stored in memory 64).

In an alternative embodiment, it is additionally useful for the first vehicle 26a to post a message of the second vehicle 26b in addition to posting the route. The message may be associated with a particular point along a route or may constitute a single message generally associated with that route. The message posting technique is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 10 / 818,078 (Agent Document TC00169), incorporated herein by reference "Methods for Sending Messages Based on the Location of Mobile Users in a Communication Network".

While in the preferred embodiment route information is left according to the location of the moving vehicle, in alternative embodiments route information may be left by a fixed user for the mobile user. Therefore, it is hoped that the home based user will provide the route to the second vehicle 26b, perhaps to the home based user's house. Assuming a home-based user communicates with system 10 to own a computer, the user can leave a route for a second vehicle. One way to do that is illustrated in FIG. 7, where the home user leaves a route for the second vehicle 26b using his home computer. 7 illustrates a display 101 of a home user's computer and shows a map of an area encompassing a route. The home user uses the mouse pointer 141 to mark the start and stop positions of the root (as indicated by Xs) and to operate the appropriate mapping program, the computer or server 24, as shown in FIG. Generate root. The designated receiving user ID and other route details can be entered as text by the home user in the window 142 and uploaded to the server 24 (and finally the second vehicle 26b) by pressing the " send " button. A detailed description of the interaction between the home-based user and the system 10 can be found in US Patent Application Serial No. 10 / 818,078, entitled "Methods for Sending Messages Based on the Location of Mobile Users in a Communication Network". Document TC00169.

A method is disclosed in which one user (eg, first vehicle 26a) leaves route information for another user (eg, second vehicle 26b). However, the disclosed systems and methods can also be used to allow users to leave root information themselves. It is more useful in situations where the user is likely to get lost in an unfriendly location (such as a business trip). Posting one's own route is not significantly different from posting another route, as illustrated above, with the exception that the user associates his user ID with the route of interest and designates himself as the designated recipient. Such route information can be useful to users who need to follow the same route (eg, every morning) or follow the route backwards to find a way back to a predetermined location, such as their hotel.

Although the disclosed systems and methods are useful for leaving route information to a single system user, assuming that user IDs are also specified when the route is posted to the system, it is possible to leave a single route to multiple users. In addition, posting to a single user may also be associated with multiple routes having properties that would be useful if, for example, the recipient could take one of a plurality of routes to reach at a particular location.

Although primarily described for improving communication in a vehicle, those skilled in the art will recognize that many of the concepts disclosed herein are incorporated in a vehicle collectively referred to as a portable communication device, such as cell phones, personal data assistants (PDAs), portable computers, and the like. It will be appreciated that it will have utility in other portable communication user interfaces that are not available.

While several separate embodiments have been disclosed, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments may be combined with each other and that one use need not be exclusive to the use of another embodiment. In addition, the above description of the present invention is for illustration only and is not intended to limit the scope of the patent disclosed in the present application. The invention is limited only by the scope and spirit of the following claims.

Claims (10)

In a method of displaying a route moved by a first user 26a having a first user interface 51 and presenting the route to a second user 26b having a second user interface 51, Moving a first user (26a) in a first direction along the route; Causing the first user interface (51) to be transmitted wirelessly to a communication network (10); Wirelessly transmitting position data and associated maneuver data from the communication network (10) to the second user interface (51); Presenting the location data and associated steering data to the second user (26b) of the second user interface (51) to inform the second user (26b) of the route of the first user (26a); And Causing the second user 26b to be moved along the route in accordance with the presented position data and associated steering data, The communication network 10, A first identification code of the first user 26a; The current location of the first user 26a at a plurality of times during the route to form a plurality of location data and associated steering data; And  Displaying a route moved by the first user 26a having the first user interface 51 having the identification code of the second user 26b and displaying the route as the second user interface 51 having the second user interface 51. 2 Method to present to user 26b. The method of claim 1, The communication network 10 provides a first user interface 51 for wirelessly transmitting a confirmation to the first user interface 51 where the second user 26b reaches at least one of the plurality of location data. Displaying a route moved by a first user (26a) having and presenting the route to a second user (26b) having a second user interface (51). The method of claim 1, Each of the associated steering data includes an audio message associated by the first user 26a, and the step of presenting the plurality of location data to the second user 26b causes the associated audio messages to be transmitted to the second user. A second user having a route moved by the first user 26a having the first user interface 51 and acting as a second user interface 51; 26b). The method of claim 1, The plurality of positional data and associated steering data is presented to a first user 26a having a first user interface 51, presented to the second user 26b on a display associated with the second user interface 51. Displaying the route moved by and presenting the route to a second user (26b) having a second user interface (51). The method of claim 1, Each of the plurality of position data and associated steering data is automatically generated when the first user 26a performs a plurality of maneuvers along the route, the first user having a first user interface 51. 26a) indicating the route moved by and presenting the route to a second user (26b) having a second user interface (51). The method of claim 1, Indicate the route traveled by the first user 26a with the first user interface 51, the plurality of times being based on a plurality of maneuvers made by the first user 26a, and delete the route. 2 Method to present to a second user 26b having a user interface 51. The method of claim 1, The plurality of times indicate the route traveled by the first user 26a with the first user interface 51, which occurs when the first user 26a actually changes its orientation, and the route To a second user (26b) having a second user interface (51). The method of claim 1, The plurality of times indicate a route traveled by a first user 26a having a first user interface 51, which occurs when the first user presses a button on the first user interface 51. And present the route to a second user (26b) having a second user interface (51). The method of claim 1, Transmitted by the first user 26a with the first user interface 51, further comprising the step of transmitting the first identification code from the communication network 10 to the second user interface 51. Displaying a route and presenting the route to a second user (26b) having a second user interface (51). The method of claim 1, A first, wherein the second user 26b reaches one of the plurality of locations along the route, the direction of which is consecutive to the plurality of locations being presented by the second user interface 51 A method of displaying a route moved by a first user (26a) having a user interface (51) and presenting the route to a second user (26b) having a second user interface (51).

Images