| Patent application number | Description | Published |
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| 20080249704 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR REDUCING DATA TRANSMISSION IN WIRELESS CLIENT-SERVER NAVIGATION SYSTEMS - Methods and apparatus reduce data transmission in a wireless client-server navigation system. A request for data representative of a map-related feature is received at a central server from a mobile unit. Data describing the feature is obtained in the form of line segments interconnecting points having coordinates such as a shapefile or other format. An operation is performed on the data describing the feature to generate data representative of the feature in a data-reduced format, and the data representative of the feature in the data-reduced format is forwarded to the mobile unit issuing the request. The operation responsible for producing the data-reduced format includes the steps of: receiving data describing a map; partitioning the map into a plurality of tiles; designating a reference point within each tile; representing the feature in the form of offsets from the reference points; and wherein the data-reduced format is based upon the reference points and offsets. Alternatively, the operation may include the steps of approximating the feature with a curve, whereby the data-reduced format includes a description of the curve. In a further alternative embodiment, the operation includes the steps of removing one or more of the points having the coordinates, leaving a plurality of remaining points describing the feature, such that the reduced-data format is represented with line segments interconnecting the remaining points. In all embodiments, the operation may include, alone or in combination with other embodiments, the step of applying a data-compression algorithm to the data representative of the feature in the data-reduced format prior to forwarding the data to the mobile unit issuing the request. | 10-09-2008 |
| 20080270576 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR REDUCING DATA TRANSMISSION IN WIRELESS CLIENT-SERVER NAVIGATION SYSTEMS - Methods and apparatus reduce data transmission in a wireless client-server navigation system. Data is transmitted from a mobile client to a central server explicitly or implicitly requesting the transmission of map data from the central server. At the same time or previously, the mobile client forwards to the central server, a summary of map data already present at the mobile client. The central server compares the received request to the map data already present at the mobile client based upon the information received from the mobile client, and if there is overlap, the central server downloads the map data requested by the client, but excludes map data determined by the server to be already present in the client based on the previously transmitted summary information, thereby reducing data transmission requirements. The summary of map data present in the client may be transmitted to the central server in a reduced-data format. The reduced-data format may comprise designators associated with regions such as tiles into which a map has been partitioned. System-level aspects are additionally disclosed. | 10-30-2008 |
| 20080275632 | VEHICLE NAVIGATION USER INTERFACE CUSTOMIZATION METHODS - Apparatus and methods are directed to the use and customization of user interfaces associated with vehicle navigation systems. Aspects of this customizability may include selection of interface “skins,” selection of context for clarification, and autocompletion functions. The navigator may be a wireless client server navigation system comprising mobile clients used for requesting and receiving guidance from a central server that houses databases of geographical information. The options to be customized may include images, icons, controls, menus, colors, symbols, or shapes that are added, removed, or moved on the display. The options may be selected using equipment external to the navigation system; for example, the options may be selected using a computer connected to the Internet. The options may also be entered by way of a spoken command. If a letter, word, or phrase received by the navigator is not understood, the method proceeds with the steps of: searching a database for potential matching letters, words, or phrases; querying the user with the potential matching letters, words, or phrases; and, if the user selects one of the potential matching letters, words, or phrases: performing an operating associated with the potential matching letters, words, or phrases. | 11-06-2008 |
| 20080275633 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR REDUCING DATA TRANSMISSION IN WIRELESS CLIENT-SERVER NAVIGATION SYSTEMS - Methods and apparatus reduce data transmission in a wireless client-server navigation system. A request for data representative of a map-related feature is received at a central server from a mobile unit. Data describing the feature is obtained in the form of line segments interconnecting points having coordinates such as a shapefile or other format. An operation is performed on the data describing the feature to generate data representative of the feature in a data-reduced format, and the data representative of the feature in the data-reduced format is forwarded to the mobile unit issuing the request. The operation responsible for producing the data-reduced format includes the steps of: receiving data describing a map; partitioning the map into a plurality of tiles; designating a reference point within each tile; representing the feature in the form of offsets from the reference points; and wherein the data-reduced format is based upon the reference points and offsets. Alternatively, the operation may include the steps of approximating the feature with a curve, whereby the data-reduced format includes a description of the curve. In a further alternative embodiment, the operation includes the steps of removing one or more of the points having the coordinates, leaving a plurality of remaining points describing the feature, such that the reduced-data format is represented with line segments interconnecting the remaining points. | 11-06-2008 |
| 20080275638 | CONDUCTING LOCALIZED SEARCHES IN A WIRELESS CLIENT-SERVER NAVIGATION SYSTEM - A system and method are disclosed for conducting searches and generating routes to selected points of interest using a wireless client-server (WCS) navigator. A method includes the step of requesting, at a mobile unit, information about one or more locations meeting certain criteria. Locations meeting the criteria are displayed on the display screen at the location of the user and, if a location is selected, a route to include the selected location is automatically generated. Guidance regarding how to travel to the selected location may also be provided. If the user is already en route to a destination when a route to a selected location is requested, the navigator may generate a route that includes both the original destination and the selected new location. If the user is already en route to a destination when locations matching criteria are requested, along with the locations displayed the navigator may provide information to the user as to the total travel time or distance of a route passing through the original destination and a new location or the additional travel time or distance in comparison to the original route. The method may further include the step of requesting information about a class of locations such as restaurants. | 11-06-2008 |
| 20080275641 | WIRELESS CLIENT0-SERVER NAVIGATOR TRAFFIC METHODS - A wireless client-server (WCS) navigator provides routes optimized for travel time based on traffic flow rate and incident data, inexpensively and in a timely manner. A server, having a database of geographical information including road segments at a server, receives information representing traffic flow rates or traffic incidents along the road segments. This allows a route to be generated that is optimized to minimize travel time along the road segments based upon the traffic flow rates or traffic incidents. The route is then transmitted to a mobile client. Typically, though not necessarily, the route is generated in response to a request from a mobile client. Some travel time estimates may be based on historical traffic flow rate data or speed limit data rather than current information. Traffic flow rate or traffic incident data associated with the transmitted route may be transmitted to a client along with the route. The traffic flow rate information may be used to create estimates of time of arrival at a destination or points along the route. The points along the route may include, for example, points at which a maneuver such as a turn should be performed in conjunction with the route. | 11-06-2008 |
| 20080275875 | NAVIGATOR DATABASE SEARCH METHODS - Methods and associated apparatus allow a vehicle navigator to more efficiently search for locations in a database. According to one such method, a map is divided into tiles, and locations are associated within each tile with the tile the user is in. When queried by a user for a location, the system checks the tile currently occupied by the user to determine if it contains any of the desired locations. The system then checks the tile(s) adjacent to the currently occupied tile to determine if it contains any of the desired locations. The system then checks the tile(s) adjacent to b) to determine if it contains any of the desired locations, and the process is repeated, as necessary, until all tiles adjacent to tiles that have been checked are themselves checked that are to determine if locations matching the query are present. The position of the location(s) can then be communicated to the user. Alternative methods and system-level aspects of the invention are also disclosed. | 11-06-2008 |
| 20080281516 | ADVERTISING MANAGEMENT IN A WIRELESS CLIENT-SERVER NAVIGATION SYSTEM - In a vehicle navigation system, advertising content is provided in a way that is noticeable, does not interfere with the navigation function of the device, and is relevant to the user's desires. If, after being provided with advertising content, the user indicates a desire to travel to a location relevant to the advertising content, the navigation system will guide him to the location with minimal further user input. In response to a user request for locations fitting certain criteria, icons indicating the position of locations fitting the criteria are displayed. Locations for which advertising information is available are indicated with an icon visually differentiable from icons for which no such information is available. When the user selects a location for which advertising content is available, the advertising content is presented. A control is also presented with which the user can command the navigation system to guide him to the selected location. If the control is activated the navigation system generates a route between the user's current location, and the selected location guides the user to the selected location. If the control is activated when the navigation system is already guiding the user along a route, the selected location is added to the current route. | 11-13-2008 |
| 20080281517 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR REDUCING DATA TRANSMISSION IN WIRELESS CLIENT-SERVER NAVIGATION SYSTEMS - Methods and apparatus reduce data transmission in a wireless client-server navigation system. In the preferred method, reduction of data sent is made possible by giving the user control over rerouting decisions. In many navigation systems, the navigator automatically generates a new route if a user strays from the route it provided. In a wireless client-server this is undesirable because of the increased cost or rerouting due to data transmission costs. On the other hand, providing an easy to use rerouting method is very important to customer satisfaction. In order to provide both data reduction and user satisfaction, when a user strays from the route provided, the navigator accepts user instructions as to how to handle rerouting. In this method the user is given the options of rerouting, suspending the current route until the user returns to it, or canceling the route. Only one of these options results in additional transmission of data. | 11-13-2008 |
