Claims
- 1. A method for determining a user's location comprising the steps of:generating a position signal; determining a first approximation of the user's location using said position signal; querying a database of location information based upon said first approximation; generating a first set of candidates corresponding to locations in close proximity to the first approximation of a user's location; the user perceiving a vicinity of the user; the user selecting at least one preferred candidate from among the first set of locations according to a predetermined criteria; determining a second approximation of a user's location based upon said at least one preferred location, wherein said second approximation is more accurate than said first approximation.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said predetermined criteria is said preferred location being closest to the user.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said predetermined criteria is said preferred location being in front of the user.
- 4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of generating a position signal uses a satellite based system.
- 5. The method of claim 4, wherein said satellite based system is a global positioning system.
- 6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of generating a position signal uses a ground based system.
- 7. The method of claim 6, wherein said satellite based system is a cellular system.
- 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps are distributed among a client and a server.
- 9. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of generating a position signal uses a wireless client.
- 10. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of generating a first set of candidates further involves the step of ranking the first set of candidates locations based upon a second criteria.
- 11. A method for providing navigational prompts to a user comprising the steps of:inputting a destination; generating a position signal; determining a first approximation of a user's location using said position signal; querying a database of location information based upon said first approximation; generating a first set of candidates corresponding to locations in close proximity to the first approximation of a user's location; the user perceiving a vicinity of the user; the user selecting at least one preferred candidate from among the first set of locations according to a first predetermined criteria; determining a second approximation of a user's location based upon said preferred location, wherein said second approximation is more accurate than said first approximation; determining a path from the second approximation to the destination according to a second predetermined criteria; providing prompts to the user describing said path.
- 12. The method of claim 11, wherein said first predetermined criteria is said preferred location being closest to the user.
- 13. The method of claim 11, wherein said first predetermined criteria is said preferred location being in front of the user.
- 14. The method of claim 11, wherein said step of generating a position signal uses a satellite based system.
- 15. The method of claim 14, wherein said satellite based system is a global positioning system.
- 16. The method of claim 11, wherein said step of generating a position signal uses a ground based system.
- 17. The method of claim 16, wherein said satellite based system is a cellular system.
- 18. The method of claim 16, wherein the steps are distributed among a client and a server.
- 19. The method of claim 11, wherein said step of generating a position signal uses a wireless client.
- 20. The method of claim 11, wherein said step of generating a first set of candidates further involves the step of ranking the set of candidates locations based upon a second criteria.
- 21. The method of claim 11, wherein said navigational prompts are descriptive relative to a reference location.
- 22. The method of claim 11, wherein said navigational prompts are relative to a user's direction.
- 23. The method of claim 11, wherein said navigational prompts are provided audibly.
- 24. The method of claim 11, wherein said navigational prompts are provided graphically.
- 25. The method of claim 11, wherein said first predetermined criteria is candidates surrounding the user.
- 26. The method of claim 11, wherein said steps of inputting a destination is performed audibly, the user selecting at least one preferred candidate from among the first set of locations according to a first predetermined criteria, or providing prompts to the user describing said path are performed audibly.
Parent Case Info
This application claims benefit of Provisional 60/156,225 filed Sep. 27, 1997.
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Number |
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Date |
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5610821 |
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Mar 1997 |
|
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Aug 1999 |
|
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Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
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Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60/156225 |
Sep 1999 |
US |