Remote Route Searching Or Determining Patents (Class 701/420)
  • Patent number: 10012515
    Abstract: A vehicle request management system having a server 10 arranged to communicate with a plurality of vehicle requesting devices 12 and a plurality of vehicles 14, each being equipped with a device 200 having route planning and navigation functionality. Upon receipt of a vehicle request, the server 10 selects a suitable vehicle 14 and determines the route that the vehicle should travel to the pick-up location and then onto the drop-off location. The server 10 receives updates as to the position of the selected vehicle 14 as it completes the request, and uses data associated with the calculated route and the position of the selected vehicle 14 to provide enhanced functionality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: TOMTOM INTERNATIONAL B.V.
    Inventors: Kees Wesselius, Daan Reyer van Dijk, Pieter Andreas Geelen, Harold Goddijn
  • Patent number: 9998420
    Abstract: Live events attendance smart transportation and planning. A social media profile and a social media friends list corresponding to the user is retrieved by the event service. The event service generates and transmits an event recommendation list to the user. The event service receives the ticket confirmation of the user obtaining a ticket to an event and receives a user transportation preference to attend the event. The event service retrieves a transportation preference for a friend from the social media friends list who obtained the admissions ticket to the event and generates a transportation recommendation to the event for the user and the friend from the social media friends list based on each of their transportation preferences for the event. The event service transmits the transportation recommendation to the user and the friend from the social media friends list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Priscilla Fernanda Jimenez Pazmino, Dulce B. Ponceleon
  • Patent number: 9992628
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for facilitating a download of a specific portion of a map onto a computing device based on information received from a location-aware service. Location information, a start date, and an end date associated with travel plans of a user are received from, for example, a location-aware application or service. A download time corresponding to when to download a map portion corresponding to the received location information is determined. At or prior to the download time, it is determined whether the map portion can be downloaded at that particular time based on one or more factors. If the map portion can be downloaded at that time, the map portion is downloaded to a device associated with the user. The map portion is then removed from the device associated with the user on or after the end date.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Rafael Lopez-Uricoechea, Oliver Colbert, Silvana Moncayo
  • Patent number: 9989375
    Abstract: A method for transmitting travel route information to a person present outside of a motor vehicle, and to a system for transmitting such information. The method for transmitting travel route information to a person present outside of a motor vehicle provides that a navigation system present in the motor vehicle wirelessly transmits a data stream including the information to be transmitted directly or indirectly to a display device carried by the person. The information to be transmitted can be perceived by the person by the display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Marc Menzel, Sighard Schräbler
  • Patent number: 9973885
    Abstract: A control method for an audio-video-navigation (AVN) terminal includes: receiving an identifier code and point of interest (POI) information; searching for user information corresponding to the identifier code from a communication connected terminal; and displaying the POI information and user information when the user information corresponding to the identifier code is identified during the searching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Un Hwan Sol
  • Patent number: 9891068
    Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for a mobile device connected to a vehicle's interactive communication system that includes a display screen. The method identifies at least one search term from audio data received through the vehicle's interactive communication system. At the mobile device, the method performs a search to identify at least one location related to the identified search term. The method generates a map, that displays the identified location, for output on the display screen of the interactive communication system of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Emanuele Vulcano, Bradford A. Moore, Jorge Fino, Scott Herz, Justin Garcia
  • Patent number: 9863780
    Abstract: A mapping program for execution by at least one processing unit of a device is described. The mapping program selects a traffic segment defined in a first data structure describing congestion in an area of a map. The mapping program identifies a portion of a road in the map area that corresponds to the traffic segment by using a second data structure to correlate the traffic segment in the first data structure to the road that is defined in a third data structure. The mapping program defines a traffic congestion representation to render for the identified road portion, based on data about the corresponding road in the third data structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Uros Prestor, J. Paul McCabe
  • Patent number: 9824384
    Abstract: A current location of a portable computerized device can be determined within a retail store. A computer-implemented method to provide a directional aid for a consumer within the store includes receiving an item being sought within a retail store, monitoring, at the processing device, the current location of a portable computerized device, determining an in-store location of the item being sought; and displaying to the consumer a graphic describing a direction and a distance from the current location to the in-store location of the item being sought.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: WAL-MART STORES, INC.
    Inventors: Stefan Li, Valerie Goulart
  • Patent number: 9754226
    Abstract: Techniques for analyzing effectiveness of an urban area based on traffic patterns collected from route-oriented vehicles. A process collects sequences of global positioning system (GPS) points in logs and identifies geographical locations to represent the urban area where the route-oriented vehicles traveled. The process models traffic patterns by: partitioning the urban area into regions based at least in part on major roads, segmenting the GPS points from the logs into time slots, and identifying the GPS points associated with transporting a passenger in the route-oriented vehicles. The process models traffic patterns by projecting the identified GPS points onto the regions to construct transitions of the identified GPS points travelling between the regions. Then the process builds a matrix of the regions for each time slot in each day based on a number of the transitions. Each item in the matrix represents an effectiveness of a connection between two regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Yu Zheng, Xing Xie
  • Patent number: 9733089
    Abstract: A method for primarily sensor-based navigation includes: in a first time period, collecting geophysical position data using a GPS receiver of a navigation device; in the first time period, collecting a first set of accelerometer data using an accelerometer of the navigation device; analyzing the first set of accelerometer data to produce a first set of vertical vehicular motion data; generating a mapping association between the first set of vertical vehicular motion data and the geophysical position data; in a second time period after the first time period, collecting a second set of accelerometer data using the accelerometer; analyzing the second set of accelerometer data to produce a second set of vertical vehicular motion data; and calculating an estimated location of the vehicle by analyzing the second set of vertical vehicular motion data in light of the mapping association.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Zendrive, Inc.
    Inventors: Romit Roy Choudhury, Jayanta Pal, Pankaj Risbood, Jonathan Matus
  • Patent number: 9643615
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a vehicle position module that determines a position of each proximal vehicle with respect to a user's vehicle. Each proximal vehicle is positioned in relation to the user's vehicle without another vehicle between the proximal vehicle and the user's vehicle. A vehicle network module establishes a communication link between the user's vehicle and the proximal vehicles. A message receiver module receives an alert message from a front proximal vehicle in front of the user's vehicle in response to the front proximal vehicle sending the alert message. A message transmitter module transmits an alert message to a rear proximal vehicle traveling behind the user's vehicle. The transmitted alert message includes an alert message received from a front proximal vehicle and/or an alert message generated within the user's vehicle. An alert action module takes an action with respect to the user's vehicle in response to receiving an alert message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Eric V Kline
  • Patent number: 9626865
    Abstract: An image recognition section detects a first traffic regulation sign from a picked-up image of an area in front of a vehicle. An acquisition section uses a position of the vehicle to acquire a road link, including a second traffic regulation sign at the position of the vehicle, from a storage section. When no current first traffic regulation sign is detected on a current road link after turning-right or turning-left of the vehicle, a determination section determines a current final traffic regulation sign on the current road link, which is to be notified to a vehicle occupant, by use of a degree of adequacy of cooperation between previous first and second traffic regulation signs detected and acquired on a previous road link before the turning-right or turning-left of the vehicle, but also previous and current factors acquired on the previous and current road links.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuji Yokochi, Hirotaka Takiguchi
  • Patent number: 9558662
    Abstract: A display section classifies evaluation values of a first traveling environment into a plurality of classes to obtain levels of ease of driving and displays the levels of ease of driving for each of unit areas including one or a plurality of areas. The display section displays levels of ease of driving calculated based on evaluation values of a second traveling environment as replacement for first unit areas including areas in a level of ease of driving displaced from a median.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hirokazu Nomoto
  • Patent number: 9465384
    Abstract: A method operable by a computing device is provided. The method may include receiving a request for a given task to be performed by a robotic system. The method may also determining one or more subtasks required to perform the given task, where the one or more subtasks include one or more parameters used to define the one or more subtasks. The method may also include determining an arrangement of the one or more subtasks to perform the given task, and providing for display an indication of the one or more undefined parameters for the given task. The method may also include receiving an input defining the one or more undefined parameters for the given task, and executing the one or more subtasks in the determined arrangement and in accordance with the one or more defined parameters to cause the robotic system to perform the given task.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Redwood Robotics, Inc.
    Inventors: Advait Jain, Anthony Jules, Aaron Edsinger
  • Patent number: 9448084
    Abstract: Systems and methods may provide for implementing a dynamic navigation service. In one example, the method may include generating user behavior data for a user, generating community user behavior data, generating a user suggested route, and generating a community user suggested route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Rita H. Wouhaybi, Alexandra C. Zafiroglu
  • Patent number: 9423257
    Abstract: A portable navigation device and method are capable of presenting a destination direction to a user without resorting to visual sensation with a relatively simple configuration. Vibration elements are disposed on or in different positions of a housing. The respective vibration intensities of the vibration elements are determined on the basis of an angular difference ? between a destination direction Vn and a terminal direction Vd. The vibration elements are respectively controlled in accordance with the determined vibration intensities. The position of a vibration, which is obtained as a result of blending vibrations of the vibration elements is sensed by a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignees: SONY CORPORATION, SONY MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS INC.
    Inventor: Tatsuya Ooka
  • Patent number: 9389088
    Abstract: The present application describes techniques for fetching map data as a selected subset of entire map data available, by selecting map data tiles corresponding to an area that encompasses a first route and to an area encompassing a secondary route based on the first route. An amount of map data accessed may be adjusted based on a priority of the secondary route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventors: Iljya Kalai, Michael Siliski, Jerry Morrison, Keith Ito, Andrew T. Miller
  • Patent number: 9332207
    Abstract: A vehicular display device includes an information display portion disposed on a housing provided forwardly of a driver's seat. The information display portion has a display screen disposed in opposed relationship to the driver's seat. The display device further includes a holder unit disposed rearwardly of the housing in opposed relationship with the information display portion, and a mobile terminal detachably retained between the holder unit and the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaru Nakayama, Yoshimitsu Ishida, Koji Aoki
  • Patent number: 9310212
    Abstract: A system, method and apparatus for hybrid off-board vehicle navigation are disclosed. In the system, a multi-stop route package is created and sent from a route server to a navigation device. The route package can include a collection of vehicle attributes and corresponding road restrictions for guiding the vehicle towards its destination. The server can optionally push the route package to the vehicle in an email message or other stored communication. When an off-route condition is detected, the navigation device can send a route request to the server that includes the vehicle attributes and the corresponding road restrictions. The server can respond with a partial route correction that is determined based on the vehicle attributes and road restrictions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeff Rogers, Matt Crowder, Kerry Somerville, Richard Pearlman, Matthew Chaffin, Bert Yagrich
  • Patent number: 9285235
    Abstract: The present technique relates to an information processing device, an information processing method and a program which can accumulate sufficient movement history data with a little power consumption. A similarity search unit searches for a past route similar to the immediate movement history which is acquired by a position sensor unit and which has time series position data, from the search data stored in a past history DB. A fitness determination unit determines whether or not goodness of fit of the past route searched by the similarity search unit and the immediate movement history is a predetermined threshold or more. A sensor control unit controls an acquisition interval of the position data of the position sensor unit according to a determination result of the fitness determination unit. The technique of this disclosure is applicable to a prediction device which, for example, acquires position data and predicts a predicted route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoki Ide, Yoshiyuki Kobayashi, Masato Ito, Kohtaro Sabe
  • Patent number: 9285238
    Abstract: Provided is a navigation system capable of matching map information used by a navigation apparatus and a navigation server with an appropriate frequency and at an appropriate timing. When there is differential information between the navigation map information and the support map information, index information for identifying the differential information is transmitted from the navigation server to the navigation apparatus and the navigation apparatus outputs preliminary information indicating a brief summary of the differential information generated according to the index information. When a request signal based on a request operation by a user in the navigation apparatus is transmitted from the navigation apparatus to the navigation server, the differential information is transmitted form the navigation server to the navigation apparatus, so that the navigation map information is updated in accordance with the differential information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadafumi Nogawa, Satoshi Murata
  • Patent number: 9273970
    Abstract: Systems and methods for generating a plurality of trip patterns are provided. One exemplary method includes receiving transit graph data describing a plurality of nodes respectively corresponding to a plurality of transit stations and a plurality of arcs respectively connecting the plurality of nodes. The method also includes performing a plurality of identification iterations. Each identification iteration includes determining an optimal transit trip connecting an origin node to a destination node based on a cost model. Each identification iteration also includes revising the cost model based on the determined optimal transit trip, such that the arc costs associated with one or more arcs associated with the optimal transit trip are increased. Each optimal transit trip can have an associated trip pattern describing a sequence of nodes traversed by such optimal transit trip. One exemplary system can include a transit planning platform that includes a trip pattern identification module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Albert Graells, Lucien Pech
  • Patent number: 9267806
    Abstract: Path-relevant information is provided by a backend server system to a vehicle without an input or request from the vehicle operator. Program applications, including a web browser application, records vehicle route data in a local memory during vehicle travel. Such vehicle route data may include current GPS coordinates, time of day, day of week, etc. The recorded vehicle route data may then be used to locally generate one or more route prediction models. A predicted vehicle route may be generated from the route prediction models. Once a vehicle route has been predicted, coordinate data corresponding to the predicted route may be transmitted to a backend server. Thereafter, path-relevant information, based on the transmitted coordinate data, may then be received from the backend server, and without the vehicle operator having to provide any input or request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Brian Conner
  • Patent number: 9243919
    Abstract: Provided is a navigation system and the like capable of improving the utility value of the navigation route in response to a current request in consideration of a user position. In the navigation system of the present invention, when a current request Req(i)(i>1) including a current destination position p2(i) that is the same as a previous destination position p2(i?1), is made from a navigation device 200, a current support route R(i) is searched which has a location point p1(i) that is on a previous support route R(i?1) and distant from the user position p0(i) by a designated distance or more included in the request Req(i), as a starting point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koji Sengoku, Tadafumi Nogawa
  • Patent number: 9212930
    Abstract: A method of reporting an event is provided. The method includes selecting, by a device, an icon for an event. The method also includes selecting, by a device, a pin attribute for the event, wherein the pin attribute identifies the side of the road which the event is present. The method also includes presenting, by a device, the selected icon and a pin having the pin attribute at the appropriate location on a dynamic map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Elad Tayar, Omer Ben Ziv
  • Patent number: 9190049
    Abstract: Features are disclosed for generating text-to-speech (TTS) audio programs from textual content received from multiple sources. A TTS system may assemble an audio program from several individual audio presentations of user-selected network-accessible content. Users may configure the TTS system to retrieve personal content as well as publically accessible content. The audio program may include segues, introductions, summaries, and the like. Voices may be selected for individual content items based on user selections or on characteristics of the content or content source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: IVONA Software Sp. z.o.o.
    Inventors: Michal T. Kaszczuk, Lukasz M. Osowski
  • Patent number: 9182498
    Abstract: A method of operation of a hybrid navigation system includes: providing a peer-to-peer communication controller for communicating with a first vehicle; linking a second peer-to-peer communication controller for communicating between a second vehicle and the first vehicle; providing a communication and navigation controller for monitoring a regional network for the first vehicle or the second vehicle including storing saved route information; and preparing a first route history file for transferring from first vehicle to the second vehicle including providing the first route history file from the saved route information for displaying in the second vehicle when the regional network is not available.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: TELENAV INC.
    Inventors: Hengbin Luo, Jose Bedolla, Yi-Chung Chao
  • Patent number: 9167387
    Abstract: An electronic device that includes a schedule information detecting unit which detects a schedule according to which a user moves to a second geographical area outside a first geographical area, an information acquisition unit which acquires position dependent information in the second geographical area from a first server apparatus before moving to the second geographical area, a position dependent information storing unit, a positioning unit, an output information control unit which retrieves the position dependent information corresponding to the position of the electronic device from the position dependent information storing unit, an information quantity storing unit which stores information quantity data which indicates quantity of the information retrieved from the position dependent information storing unit, and an information quantity transmitting unit which transmits the information quantity data stored in the information quantity storing unit to a second server apparatus, when the electronic device
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Masaki Akiyama
  • Patent number: 9157752
    Abstract: A system and method provides for autonomously driving a vehicle to a particular location during an emergency event. The method enables the vehicle to be driven autonomously. As a result of the emergency event, an input is provided to generate a request signal. Based on the request signal, the method 1) instructs the self-driving system to drive the vehicle to the particular location, and 2) sends, via an Internet connection, data to an entity remote from the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Miguel A Fernández Garcia, Perla Y Guzman Muñiz, Oscar I Suárez Ramirez, Jorge A Reyes Marquez
  • Patent number: 9140575
    Abstract: The disclosed subject matter relates to computer-implemented methods for navigating to a selected location. One method includes receiving from a client device, which includes a graphical user interface, a search query for locations. The method includes performing a search using the search query to obtain one or more locations corresponding to the search query. The method includes sending to the client device, for display on the graphical user interface, the one or more locations corresponding to the search query. The method includes receiving from the client device, an indication of a selected location which corresponds to one of the location or locations corresponding to the search query. The method includes calculating navigation instructions for the secondary device to navigate to the selected location. The method includes sending to the client device, the navigation instructions for the secondary device, and a request to forward the navigation instructions to the secondary device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Paul Vincent Byrne
  • Patent number: 9092079
    Abstract: An example of an information processing apparatus distinguishes whether there is an operation instruction or not in accordance with an operation made on an input device. First, an acquiring section acquires an input value based on the operation made on the input device. An operation instruction distinguishing section distinguishes whether there is an operation instruction or not provided by the operation made on the input device, such that the distinguishing result is different between when the input value is within a distinguishing range, which is a prescribed range, and when the input value is outside the distinguishing range. When the input value is changed in a direction of being away from a border of the distinguishing range, a range setting section changes a size of the distinguishing range such that the border approaches the post-change input value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: NINTENDO CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Keizo Ohta
  • Patent number: 9076435
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the manner in which a processor-enabled device should produce sounds from data is described. The device ideally synthesizes sounds digitally, and reproduces pre-recorded sounds, together with an audible delivery thereof, a memory in which is stored a database of a plurality data at least some of which is in the form of text-based indicators, and one or more pre-recorded sounds. The device is further capable of repeatedly determining one or more physical conditions, e.g. current GPS location, which is compared with one or more reference values provided in memory such that a positive result of the comparison gives rise to an event requiring a sound to be produced by the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: TomTom International B.V.
    Inventors: Rory Jones, Sven-Erik Jurgens
  • Patent number: 9008968
    Abstract: Search criterion information, which indicates a search criterion is transmitted to a search server, destination point information on a destination point, which is a point found by the search server based on the search criterion, is obtained, a candidate point database that stores candidate point information on a candidate point connected to a road in association with the candidate point is searched, the candidate point associated with the candidate point information having a similarity to the destination point information, higher than or equal to a predetermined reference similarity, is identified as an arrival point, and first guidance information that indicates a first route to the arrival point is generated when the arrival point has been identified and second guidance information that indicates a second route to a point closest to the destination point among points on roads is generated when the arrival point has not been identified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignees: Aisin AW Co., Ltd., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiki Yamamoto, Hiroaki Sugiura, Kenji Nagase, Kuniaki Tanaka, Tomoki Kodan, Akira Saito
  • Patent number: 9008964
    Abstract: A device for road and urban mobility and for solving the problem of traffic congestion, installed on a vehicle in order to make traffic flow more fluid in and between cities. The device consists of a set of five electronic modules, including a processor. The processor analyzes and extracts positional data of the equipped vehicle from a satellite signal and sends the requests of same for an exchange with a server, bi-directionally. The device is incorporated into an onboard housing. The present device is intended, in particular, to make the traffic flow more fluid and to communicate with a dedicated server in order to guide the driver of the equipped vehicle during his/her journey from a start point to the point entered into the device as the desired final destination. The present device reduces traffic congestion and pollution caused by greenhouse gas emissions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Meed Group, EURL
    Inventor: Gerard Mansour
  • Patent number: 9002638
    Abstract: A geometric search and display method for a digital map includes a preferably animated graphic element projected on a map display, association of a search criterion with the graphic element, application of the search criterion to depicted or undepicted mapped or mappable items that geometrically intersect with the graphic element, and graphical representation of said application and/or outcome of said application by means of temporary modification of visual appearance of intersecting items and/or temporary modification of the visual appearance of the intersecting portion of the map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Inventor: Michael John Safoutin
  • Patent number: 9002634
    Abstract: A method, a device, and a non-transitory storage medium having instructions to receive, by a network device, a request from a mobile device that includes data indicating a signal quality pertaining to a connection between the mobile device and a wireless network, data indicating a location of the mobile device, and data indicating a destination of a user of the mobile device; determine a route that yields a probability that a communication session between the mobile device and another device avoids communication dropout; and transmit a response that indicates the determined route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventors: Pramod Kalyanasundaram, Kumar K. Vishwanathan, Damascene M. Joachimpillai
  • Patent number: 9002698
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a speech translation apparatus includes a speech recognition unit, a translation unit, a search unit and a selection unit. The speech recognition unit successively performs speech recognition to obtain a first language word string. The translation unit translates the first language word string into a second language word string. The search unit search for at least one similar example and acquires the similar example and a translation example. The selection unit selects, in accordance with a user instruction, at least one of the first language word string associated with the similar example and the second language word string associated with the translation example, as a selected word string.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kazuo Sumita, Hirokazu Suzuki, Kentaro Furihata, Satoshi Kamatani, Tetsuro Chino, Hisayoshi Nagae, Michiaki Ariga, Takashi Masuko
  • Patent number: 8996306
    Abstract: A route search device including a database in which map information and facility information are stored, a reference location information obtaining unit that obtains reference location information as location information of a given point from an outside of the route search device, a location information obtaining unit that obtains location information of a desired facility from the outside, a corresponding location information obtaining unit that obtains corresponding location information as location information of a point corresponding to the given point, from the database, a location correction factor calculating unit that calculates a location correction factor, a location correction factor storage unit that stores the location correction factor, a location information correcting unit that corrects the location information of the desired facility, using the location correction factor, and a route searching unit that makes a search for a route to the desired facility, based on the corrected location informa
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation, Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoki Kodan, Yasuhiro Shimizu, Ichiro Usami, Hiroyuki Kozakai
  • Publication number: 20150088412
    Abstract: A set of instructions implements an application programming interface (API) for providing navigation data from a portable device to a head unit of a vehicle. When invoked by a companion application executing on the portable device, the API is configured to obtain navigation data for navigating a user between a source and a destination, where the portable device receives the navigation data from a navigation server via a long-range communication link. The API is further configured to provide the navigation data to the companion application for transmission to the head unit via a short-range communication link.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2013
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Applicant: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventors: Andrew Foster, Nicholas Julian Pelly
  • Patent number: 8989907
    Abstract: A mobile apparatus and a process for adequately irrigating soil, wherein the apparatus has an irrigation unit for irrigating soil and a mobile microwave measurement unit for determining the water content of the soil along a measurement path. A control unit is used to irrigate the soil along the measurement path depending on the measured water content. The apparatus preferably also has a water tank and leaves an area of soil to be irrigated autonomously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Plantcare AG
    Inventors: Walter Schmidt, Yucel Toprak
  • Patent number: 8983777
    Abstract: Provided is an information processing device that provides a user with a trajectory of positions calculated by positioning unit in a user-friendly way without displaying a map. The device includes a positioning section (60) repeatedly calculates a position, a position coordinate storage section (62) that stores a plurality of positions calculated by the positioning section, and an other-user information providing section (70) that displays letter strings indicating the positions stored in the position coordinate storage section (62) in an order that the positions are calculated. The positioning section (60) stores, in a case where a newly calculated position is at a given distance or more from the position last stored in the position coordinate storage section (62), the newly calculated position into the position coordinate storage section (62).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Kenji Kaido, Eiichi Nishina, Shohei Konno, Tomohiro Hasekura
  • Patent number: 8976193
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus that executes information display processing is disclosed. The apparatus includes: a display unit that executes information display; and a data processing unit that executes a control of the information display of the display unit and data processing based on a user input. The data processing unit displays an image browsing screen, which corresponds to image data stored in a storage unit, on the display unit and executes display of a map at the position, which corresponds to position information included in attribute information of a selected image, on the basis of a user's input of image selection information and map display request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroki Takakura, Shiro Miyagi, Yoshihiro Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 8972107
    Abstract: A vehicle-mounted communication device includes wireless units 3a and 3b that switch a frequency that performs wireless communication with antennas 2a and 2b between a frequency for wireless communication for ITS and a frequency for wireless LAN communication, a parking determination unit 6 that determines whether or not a vehicle is parked, a parking position storage unit 6a that stores as a parking position a position where it is determined that the vehicle is parked by the parking determination unit 6, and a wireless control unit 4 that controls the wireless units 3a and 3b to perform the wireless communication for ITS with the antennas 2a and 2b when the vehicle is running, and switch the wireless communication for ITS or the wireless LAN communication to be performed with the antennas 2a and 2b on the basis of the parking position stored in the parking position storage unit 6a when the vehicle is parked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeki Morita, Yuji Hamada
  • Patent number: 8972174
    Abstract: A method for providing navigation information, a machine-readable storage medium, a mobile terminal and a server are provided. The method includes generating a preview image captured by a camera and location information of the mobile terminal; transmitting the preview image and location information to a server, receiving, from the server, route guide information generated based on the preview image and the location information, and displaying the route guide information to a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics, Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ji-Hong Jeung, Kyu-Sung Cho, Sung-Hwan Baek, Ik-Hwan Cho, Tae-Hwan Son
  • Patent number: 8965675
    Abstract: A system for navigation along a desired route on a desired future date may include a map interface operable to display a traffic condition and a travel time received via a communication network, and an automobile navigation network communicatively coupled to the communication network. The automobile navigation network may estimate the traffic condition and the travel time for travel along the desired route on the desired future date based on historical travel information, current traffic information and current weather information. Information regarding the estimated travel conditions may be automatically communicated to the map interface. The traffic condition may include geographic location information and/or route information. The historical travel information may include historical traffic information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Gary R. Ignatin
  • Patent number: 8942730
    Abstract: A method and system for defining a route between a first user and a second user having respective mobile devices. A communication is established between a backend server (13) and a plurality of mobile devices (11) belonging to a respective user of a cellular phone network (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Telefonica, S.A.
    Inventors: Mauro Cherubini, Nuria Oliver Ramirez
  • Patent number: 8935095
    Abstract: Various embodiments of a device, system and methods that promote safety and security within an organization. Sensor data from one or more installation sensors is collected, analyzed and used to create a map and/or directions that, when received by a wireless mobile device, facilitate a person's possible egress around or from a detected event. The information provided to the person by the map and/or the directions may be individually crafted to be of maximum use to the specific recipient so the person can understand, plan and execute the most appropriate danger avoidance maneuvers in minimal time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: UTC Fire & Security Americas Corporation, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael James Hartman, John E. Hershey, Robert J. Mitchell, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8924145
    Abstract: Provided is a Web bulletin board system (10) capable of lessening the burden in forming a travel plan when a group of people plan a trip. This Web bulletin board system (10) comprises a center server (20) which deems character strings indicated by predetermined symbols in messages in a chat to be destinations and automatically generates a list of destinations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Norikazu Nara, Noriyuki Abe, Kimio Okamoto, Takashi Shioya, Hiroaki Takatsuki, Takaaki Ishii
  • Patent number: 8924049
    Abstract: A method includes determining an operational parameter of a first vehicle traveling with a plurality of vehicles in a transportation network and/or a route in the transportation network, identifying a failure condition of the first vehicle and/or the route based on the operational parameter, obtaining plural different sets of remedial actions that dictate operations to be taken based on the operational parameter, simulating travel of the plurality of vehicles in the transportation network based on implementation of the different sets of remedial actions, determining potential consequences on travel of the plurality of vehicles in the transportation network when the different sets of remedial actions are implemented in the travel that is simulated, and based on the potential consequences, receiving a selection of at least one of the different sets of remedial actions to be implemented in actual travel of the plurality of vehicles in the transportation network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ajith Kuttannair Kumar, Paul K. Houpt, Stephen S. Mathe, Paul M. Julich, Jeffrey Kisak, Glenn Shaffer, Scott D. Nelson, Wolfgang Daum
  • Patent number: 8909466
    Abstract: A system, method and apparatus for hybrid off-board vehicle navigation are disclosed. In the system, a multi-stop route package is created and sent from a route server to a navigation device. The route package can include a collection of vehicle attributes and corresponding road restrictions for guiding the vehicle towards its destination. The server can optionally push the route package to the vehicle in an email message or other stored communication. When an off-route condition is detected, the navigation device can send a route request to the server that includes the vehicle attributes and the corresponding road restrictions. The server can respond with a partial route correction that is determined based on the vehicle attributes and road restrictions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeff Rogers, Matt Crowder, Kerry Somerville, Richard Pearlman, Matthew Chaffin, Bert Yagrich