(12) United States Patent
`Kenyon
`
`I 1111111111111111 11111 lllll lllll lllll lllll lllll lllll 111111111111111 11111111
`US006766174Bl
`US 6,766,174 Bl
`Jul. 20, 2004
`
`(10) Patent No.:
`(45) Date of Patent:
`
`(54) METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR
`PROVIDING DffiECTIONAL INFORMATION
`
`(75)
`
`Inventor: Jeffrey D. Kenyon, Boulder, CO (US)
`
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`
`"An Introduction to SnapTrack1 M Server- Aided GPS Tech(cid:173)
`nology" http://www.snaptrack.com; 11/98.
`
`(73) A5signee: Qwest Communications, lnt'l., Inc.,
`Denver, CO (US)
`
`* cited by examiner
`
`( * ) Notice:
`
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S .C. 154(b) by O days.
`
`(21) Appl. No.: 09/276,292
`Mar. 25, 1999
`(22) Filed:
`Int. Cl.7
`. .. .. ... . .. .. ... ... ........ ....... ... . .... ... . .. .. H04Q 7/20
`(51)
`(52) U.S. Cl . ................. ... 455/457; 455/456; 455/457;
`701/201; 701/211; 342/357
`(58) Field of Search ................................. 455/456, 457,
`455/33.1, 461, 466, 422, 414, 406; 379/58,
`59, 63; 342/357.09, 357, 350, 357.1; 701/201,
`213,211
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
`
`U.S. PArENT DOCUMENTS
`5,625,668 A * 4/1997 Loomis et al. ................ 379/58
`5,712,899 A * 1/1998 Pace, II .... ........ ...... ..... 379/58
`5,959,577 A * 9/1999 Fan et al. .............. 342/357.13
`6,049,718 A * 4/2000 Stewart ...................... 455/456
`6,122,521 A * 9/2000 Wilki1150n et al. .......... 455/457
`6,272,332 Bl * 8/2001 Matsumoto et al. ........ 455/412
`6,292,743 Bl * 9/2001 Pu et al. .................. 455/456.6
`6,314,295 Bl * 11/2001 Kawamoto .................. 455/457
`6,522,875 Bl * 2/2003 Dowling et al. ......... 455/414.3
`
`Primary Examiner-Edward F. Urban
`Assistant Examiner-Lana Le
`(74) Attorn<.!)~ Agent, or F inn-Kenneth J. Johnson; Robert
`G. Crouch; Marsh Fi5Chmann & Breyfogle LLP
`
`(57)
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`A communications system provides the functionality to
`provide a wireles.5 telephone user directional infonnation to
`a desired destination. Incorporated into the wireless tele(cid:173)
`phone is a position determining device such as a global
`positioning system (GPS) device. When a phone user estab(cid:173)
`lishes a connection with a particular switch in the wireless
`network, this positional information from the GPS device is
`provided and the location of the wireless phone may be
`determined. The wireless telephone user also provides infor(cid:173)
`mation regarding the desired destination. Associated \vith
`the destination code for the desired destination is a physical
`street address. Using the known location of the wireless
`telephone and the street address for the desired destination,
`a mapping procedure may be performed to determine a route
`between the two points. This route may be then converted to
`audio and/or alphanumeric directions. The directions would
`then be transmitted to the wireless phone which would either
`present them in audio form, or via a display incorporated
`into the telephone.
`
`6 Claims, 5 Drawing Sheets
`
`S.bs<:ribe< Cale
`Setviot Prow.Ser for
`Oiroc;tl(cg
`(current IOc:lttOn
`pro¥1de0 vie GPS)
`
`>--
`
`-
`
`-
`
`Call Terminates \Vch
`-'"I Errot (No Charge)
`
`Ok~M Rotl.lmod Viii
`Com~~nertOd f--- - - -> ( Cal lenninale$
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Jul. 20, 2004
`
`Sheet 1 of 5
`
`US 6,766,174 Bl
`
`12
`
`/
`
`14
`
`18
`
`Cellular
`Network
`
`Switch
`
`To
`PSTN
`
`20
`
`FIG. 1
`
`0
`
`)
`
`IC
`
`00
`00
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Jul. 20, 2004
`
`Sheet 2 of 5
`
`US 6,766,174 Bl
`
`Transmitter/
`Receiver
`
`Speaker
`
`,__
`
`Controller
`
`~--------~
`I
`I
`1 Memory
`I
`I
`
`; --------1
`
`I
`I
`1
`I
`I
`
`~ _ _ ...,_ _ _ _,44
`
`Microphone
`
`36 _/
`
`FIG. 2
`
`30
`
`GPS
`
`Display
`
`Keypad
`
`\_34
`
`/42
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Jul. 20, 2004
`
`Sheet 3 of 5
`
`US 6,766,174 Bl
`
`- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
`
`I
`.
`I
`' I
`' I
`
`,,-
`.......
`
`........
`
`......
`---
`
`__,,
`
`Maps
`
`56
`
`50
`
`+
`
`Interface
`
`\_ 52
`
`1/54
`
`Controller
`
`Billing
`Module
`
`7
`
`,
`I
`'
`I
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`I
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`/60
`
`Client
`Database
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`I
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`I
`vi
`I .
`I /164
`I
`' I
`' I
`L ___ _ __ __ __ ___________________ __ _ __ __ ,
`
`Mapping
`Module
`
`GPS
`Signal
`Processor
`
`Directions
`Generator
`
`62
`
`'
`
`58
`
`FIG. 3
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Jul. 20, 2004
`
`Sheet 4 of 5
`
`US 6,766,174 Bl
`
`DESTINATION CODE
`
`STREET ADDRESS
`
`(303) 555-1616
`(303) 555-1617
`(303) 555-1618
`(303) 555-1619
`(303) 555-1620
`(303) 555-1621
`(303) 555-1622
`(303) 555-1623
`
`1212 Main Street
`103 Maple
`196 Oak
`143 Pine
`187 Willow
`962 Branch
`541 Birch
`631 Cyprus
`
`FIG. 4
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Jul. 20, 2004
`
`Sheet 5 of 5
`
`US 6,766,174 Bl
`
`Subscriber Calls
`Service Provider for
`Directions
`( current location
`provided via GPS)
`
`Subscriber Enters
`Location Code
`
`Generate Directions
`
`>--- -- --
`
`-
`
`Call Terminates With
`Error (No Charge)
`
`Send Directions to
`Display
`
`Call Terminates
`
`Directions Returned Via
`Computer-Generated
`A udio
`
`FIG. 5
`
`

`

`US 6,766,174 Bl
`
`1
`METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR
`PROVIDING DIRECTIONAL INFORMATION
`
`FIELD OF TI-IE INVENTION
`
`The invention relates to a method and apparatus for
`providing directional information, and more particularly to
`providing directional information to a handheld communi(cid:173)
`cations device such as a wireles.s phone.
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`s
`
`2
`Jess telephone. In one aspect of the invention, this position
`determining device may be a global positioning system
`(GPS) chip set which processes information which is
`received from navigational satellites and provides positional
`information via a transmission from the wireless device.
`A wireless communications network may be employed
`which transports communication signals to and from the
`wireless communications device. In connection with the
`wireless network, may be a switch which includes an
`10 apparatus for processing the positional information to deter(cid:173)
`mine a geographical location for the wireless telephone.
`Also included at the switch may be various devices for
`searching databases and calculating and providing direc(cid:173)
`tional information based on the geographic location of the
`1s wireless communications device and a desired destination
`which is provided by the wireless communications device
`user.
`In one aspect of the invention, a wireless communications
`device user may enter a special code for a desired destina(cid:173)
`tion. Included at the switch mav be a database which
`associates destination codes with physical addresses for the
`destination. Once a wireless communications device user
`enters a specific code, the database may be searched in order
`to identifv the street address for the desired destination.
`Modules are further included in the switch for calculating a
`path to be followed from the current geographic location of
`the wireless telephone to the desired destination.
`The directional information may be provided to the wire-
`30 Jess telephone in a number of ways. Audio instructions may
`be generated at the switch and transmitted over the wireless
`network to the device to which the device user may listen.
`Further, the directional information may be converted into
`alphanumeric information which is transmitted over the
`wireless network to the wireless device and disclosed to the
`telephone user through the display incorporated into the
`wireless device. Still further, a combination of both alpha(cid:173)
`numeric and audio instructions may be transmitted to the
`wireless telephone.
`In another aspect of the invention, the destination code
`which is entered by the wireless telephone user may be the
`telephone number for the desired destination. A table may be
`created and periodically updated which associates telephone
`numbers with street addresses. Further, if a special service is
`45 provided, unique destination codes, may be only two or
`three digits Jong, may be entered in order to identify a
`destination to which directional information will be gener(cid:173)
`ated.
`
`Cellular or wireless phones have become a very common
`mode of communication. In order to employ these wireless
`devices, networks of towers are positioned at various
`locations, and through these towers telephonic connections
`are established with the public switch telephone network
`(PSTN). Through the PST N, the telephone calls can be
`routed over landlines to their desired destination or back to
`the cellular net,vork to be transmitted to another wireless 20
`telephone.
`In the early days of wireless communications, the types of
`information which may have been transmitted to and from
`these wireless devices was limited. This information may
`have included the identification data for the particular 25
`device, as well as the telephone number to which a connec(cid:173)
`tion is to be established. This information is in addition to
`the analog audio information which was transmitted
`between the wireless devices and the telephone network.
`In recent times, the amount of information which may be
`processed by a wireless communications device has signifi(cid:173)
`cantly increased. Many wireless telephones now include the
`capability to display alphanumeric messages, as well as
`transmit alphanumeric mes.sages which are entered by the
`telephone user through the keypad. All of this is in addition
`to the transmission and receipt of audio information.
`One technology which is finding more applications is
`global positioning systems (GPS). Through this technology,
`a geographic location for a person or device may be deter-
`mined within a small margin of error. These devices work by
`triangulating signals received from at least three satellites
`orbiting the earth, and then through performance of various
`calculations, a geographic position may be determined. The
`devices created to perform these calculations have been
`miniaturized to the point that the components may be
`incorporated into a chip set which easily fits within a
`handheld communications device such as a wireless phone.
`
`40
`
`35
`
`SUMMARY OF TI-IE INVENTION
`
`50
`
`The inventor has recognized that the operation of a
`wireless telephone may be further enhanced by incorporat(cid:173)
`ing position locating technology therein. If the location of a
`wireless telephone may be determined through electronic
`means, certain processing operations may be performed at 55
`remote locations, such as a telephone network switch, in
`order to provide audio and/or alphanumeric directions to the
`user of the wireless telephone from their current location to
`a desired destination.
`Disclosed herein Ls a method and apparatus for providing 60
`directional information to a wireless communications device
`based on positional information received. Included in the
`system is a wireless communications device which includes
`the functionality to receive, transmit and, in the case of
`alphanumeric data, dLsplay information. Incorporated into 65
`the wireless telephone is a device which provides position
`information relating to the geographic location of the wire-
`
`DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`FIG. 1 discloses a system diagram which provides an
`overview for the communications system.
`FIG. 2 discloses an internal system diagram for a wireless
`telephone.
`FIG. 3 discloses a system diagram for the network switch.
`FIG. 4 discloses an example of a table which associates
`destination code information with geographic location infor(cid:173)
`mation.
`FIG. 5 discloses a flow chart which describes the opera(cid:173)
`tion of the system described herein.
`
`DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED
`EMBODIMENTS
`Disclosed in FIG. 1 Ls an overall system diagram which
`includes various components of the system described herein.
`The wireless communication device employed as part of the
`
`

`

`US 6,766,174 Bl
`
`3
`system may be a wireless telephone 14. Incorporated into the
`telephone may be a display 13, as well as a keypad 15 for
`entering alphanumeric infom1ation. Incorporated into the
`wireless telephone may be a positioning system such as a
`global positioning system (GPS) chipset which processes 5
`signals received from the GPS satellites 12 orbiting the
`earth. As is well known in GPS technology, the signals may
`be triangulated to determine a geographic location for the
`device.
`During normal operations, the user of the wireless tele(cid:173)
`phone may establish contact with the wireles.5 network
`through a geographically positioned wireless tower 16. The
`tower in connection with the wireles.5 network 18 which
`routes signals to the appropriate location. Routing of the
`signals is performed by numerous switches, one of which, 15
`switch 20, is shown in FIG. 1. Within the switch a number
`of functions are performed with regards to the invention
`described herein. These functions are described in detail
`below.
`The invention described herein performs the service of 20
`providing directions to a wireless telephone user from the
`current location of the wireless telephone to a desired
`destination. Disclosed in FIG. 2 is a system diagram for a
`wireless telephone which incorporates the functionality to
`provide position information in both audio and alphanu- 25
`meric form. At the center of the operating system is the
`controller 30. This controller coordinates all the necessary
`functions for the telephone. Connected to the controller are
`the microphone 36 for receiving audio information and the
`speaker 40 for listening to audio information transmitted to 30
`the telephone. The transmitter/ receiver 46 provides for the
`receipt and transmission of audio, alphanumeric or other
`types of information transmitted to and from the wireless
`telephone. The signals processed by the transmitter/receiver
`46 may include signal<; received from the navigation sate!- 35
`lites.
`Display 32 provides for the display of alphanumeric
`information to the user of the wireless telephone. This screen
`may be large enough to carry a number of lines of infor(cid:173)
`mation and possibly display images. Alphanumeric infor- 40
`mation entered by the telephone user is done through keypad
`34. This keypad includes all the numbers necessary for
`dialing telephone numbers as well as the additional keys
`which may enhance the operation of the entry of information
`therein. Also included in the wireless telephone is a GPS 45
`apparatus 42. This apparatus may be a cbipset of the type
`commercially available from a company such as Snap Track,
`Inc, of San Jose, Calif. These chips perform the triangulation
`process to determine the geographic location of the wireless
`telephone. This information is converted into signals which so
`may be transmitted via the tranc;mitter/ receiver 46 to the
`wireless telephone network.
`As was mentioned above, signals transmitted to and from
`the wireless telephone are carried through the wireless
`network 18. Incorporated into the wireless network are a 55
`series of switches which provide for the routing of the
`various telephone callc;. Disclosed in FIG. 3 is a system
`diagram which discloses a switch 50 which performs the
`types of services described herein. The interface 52 provides
`for the receipt and transmission of communications signal<; 60
`over the wireless network. The controller 54 directs the
`operations of the switch 50. Connected to the controller 54
`are a number of processing modules which provide a variety
`of different functions . The GPS signal processing module 62
`calculates an actual geographic position for a wireless 65
`telephone which has provided its geographic information to
`the switch 50. The generation of this positional information
`
`4
`within the wireless telephone, and then transmitting the
`same over the wireless network is also within the scope of
`this invention. The mapping module 60 provides the func-
`tionality to map a path between two identified geographic
`points. There are many types of commercial software which
`provide the capability to employ local street maps in order
`to identify the best route between two points.
`The directional information module 64 provides the capa(cid:173)
`bility to convert the mapped routes generated by the map-
`10 ping module 60 into a series of either audio or alphanumeric
`instructions. These instructions may then be provided to
`controller 54 which in turn transmits them to the wireless
`telephone which bas established a connection with the
`switch.
`Also included in the switch 50 are at least two databases.
`Afirst database 56 contains the street or road maps necessary
`in order to provide directions between two geographic
`points. This information may be street maps for a particular
`city or panicular region which the wireless network is
`serving. The client database 58 may include information
`relating to desired destination locations for wireless tele(cid:173)
`phone users. In most situations, the service described herein
`is provided for business customers who wished to make it
`easier for their customers to find them. However, one skilled
`in the art would understand that information relating to any
`desired destination location can be stored in database.
`Disclosed in FIG. 4 is an example of a table which may
`be included in the client database 58. In the left hand column
`is a destination code which, in the example shown in FIG.
`4, is a telephone number for the desired destination location.
`It is conceivable that any type of code which the telephone
`user can enter through the key pad may be used in order to
`identify a particular destination location. lo the right band
`column is the actual geographic location, i.e. street address,
`for the destination locations. Although the example shown in
`FIG. 4, discloses street addres.5es, one skilled in the art
`would know that any type of coordinate and reference
`system rnay be employed with regards to identifying the
`geographical location. A number of services exisL5 today for
`creating tbe.se types of table.<;. The information employed
`within the tables ic; created prior to implementation of the
`system described herein. However, based on changes which
`may occur, it may be updated at any time by a system
`administrator.
`Returning lo FIG. 3, another component included in the
`s,,vitch is the billing module 55. This module which is in
`connection with controller 55, provides for tbe tracking and
`billing for use of the services described herein. When a
`particular wireless telephone user receives directions for a
`desired destination, they may be identified by the telephone
`number from which the call was placed. This may be done
`using automatic number identification (ANI). Once the
`phone number is known, the appropriate accounts may be
`charged. In an alternate billing scheme, the controller may
`monitor which of the destination codes, or rather phone
`numbers, in the table in FIG. 4 are accessed. Based on
`number of time the street addres.c; for a particular busines.s is
`retrieved, the busine.5S associated with the destination code
`may be billed.
`In operation, in order to employ the services described
`herein, a wireless telephone user will dial a predetermined
`telephone number for the service. The wireless network will
`route the telephone call to the switch which provide.<; this
`service. At this point, the telephone user will enter the
`destination code for the location to which directions are
`desired. Ac; was described above, this destination code may
`
`

`

`US 6,766,174 Bl
`
`5
`be the telephone number for the desired location, however,
`this code may be any number of digits uniquely assigned to
`a particular destination location. At or around the same time
`that the destination code is transmitted to the wireless
`network, the GPS device within the wireless phone will s
`receive the navigation signals from the satellite and perform
`the triangularization process to identify a geographic loca(cid:173)
`tion for the wireless telephone.
`As part of the process, the switch receives the destination
`location to which the wireless telephone user wishes to 10
`receive directions for, the geographic information relating to
`the location of the wireless telephone, and the ANI of the
`telephone user. Using the location information provided by
`the wireless telephone, the OPS processor translates thi-;
`information and determines an actual geographic location 15
`for the telephone. The mapping module 60, translates thi-;
`information to a map provided by the map database 56.
`The destination code is employed by the controller to
`search the client database 58. A scan is performed of the left
`column to identify a matching telephone number or desti- 20
`nation location code. Once this code is found, the corre(cid:173)
`sponding street addres.s or other geographic information is
`extracted from the database. This address is used by the
`mapping module to locate a particular geographic point on
`the map provided by map database 56. With the starting and 25
`ending points identified, the mapping module 60 may then
`determine an optimal path between the location of the
`wireless telephone and the destination location. Once this
`route has been determined, the directions generator 64 may
`convert this route to either audio or alphanumeric 30
`instructions, or both. Once these instructions are generated,
`they are transmitted back to the wireless telephone so that
`they may either be displayed on the screen incorporated into
`the telephone, or broadcast as audio instructions. In a final
`step, the billing module may be employed to establish a 35
`connection with the accounting system for the telephone
`company through use of the caller's ANI.
`Disclosed in FIG. 5 is a flowchart which describes in
`detail the operation of the switch for providing the direc-
`tiooal information. In tbe first step, tbe switcb detects tbat a
`caller bas established a connection with the telephone net(cid:173)
`work. At this point, the caller enters a destination code for
`tbe desired location. Included witb the destination code, is
`the location information for the wireless telephone provided 45
`by the GPS system. At this point, a search is performed of
`the database containing tbe destination codes associated
`with particular geographic location. If the code is not found
`in the database, the call is terminated and there is no charge
`to the caller. If the code is found, the mapping module
`generates directions in the manner described above.
`Once the directions have been generated, a decision is
`then made as to which format the direction should be
`transmitted in. As was described above, certain wireless
`phones do not have the capability to display alphanumeric
`information. This may be detected at the switch and if that
`is the case, only audio instructions are provided. If the
`wireless phone does have the capability to receive alphanu(cid:173)
`meric instructions, this information is transmitted. The third
`option is for the telephone user to receive both alphanumeric
`and audio instructions. Once the instructions are sent, the
`appropriate account is billed and the call is then terminated.
`
`6
`The foregoing description of the present invention has
`been presented for purposes of illustration and description.
`Furthermore, the description is not intended to limit the
`invention to the form disclosed herein. Consequently, varia(cid:173)
`tions and modifications commensurate with the above
`teachings, and the skill or knowledge of the relevant are,
`within the scope of the present invention. The embodiments
`described hereinabove are further intended to explain best
`modes known for practicing the invention and to enable
`others skilled in the art to utilize the invention in such, or
`other, embodiments and with various modifications required
`by the particular applications or uses of the present inven-
`tion. It is intended that the appended claims be construed to
`include alternative embodiments to the extent permitted by
`the prior art.
`What is claimed is:
`l. A system for providing geographic information over a
`cellular telephone network comprising:
`an interface connectable to the cellular telephone network
`which provides for processing of at least one telephone
`call from at least one cellular telephone wherein the
`telephone call includes geographic location informa-
`tion and an entered destination code;
`a destination database which includes a plurality of des(cid:173)
`tination codes, where each destination code is associ(cid:173)
`ated with a location;
`a processing engine in connection with the interface
`which receives the geographic location information and
`the destination information and automatically accesses
`a memory to identify the location associated with the
`entered destination code;
`a mapping module which uses the geographic location
`information provided in the telephone call and the
`associated location to calculate an optimal path
`between the geographic location and the associated
`location;
`a directions generator module which generates directions
`for the optimal path as a series of instructions in a
`desired format, where said desired format is present(cid:173)
`able on the at least one telephone upon receipt of said
`directions; and
`said interface is further configured to transmit the direc(cid:173)
`tions over the cellular telephone network to the cellular
`telephone.
`2. The system of claim 1 wherein the desired format
`comprises al least one of: alphanumeric form which is
`displayable on the cellular telephone and audio instructions.
`3. The system of claim 1 further including a billing
`processor for billing an account associated with the cellular
`50 telephone.
`4. The system of claim 1 wherein the geographic location
`information received over the cellular network is generated
`by a GPS transceiver in the cellular telephone.
`5. lbe system of claim 1 wherein the destination code
`55 comprises al least one of: is a telephone number for the
`destination location and a preprogrammed code.
`6. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of: the
`interface, the destination database, the processing engine,
`and the mapping engine are locatable on a switch in the
`60 wireless telephone network.
`
`40
`
`" * * *
`
`