This disclosure relates in general to navigation applications for mobile devices and more particularly to providing navigation information based on coverage area assessment.
Consumers are using mobile devices more frequently for streaming media such as audio or video or fetching other useful data such as maps, etc. while in motion. One application that uses streaming data involves presenting maps for use in navigating to a desired destination. Mobile computing devices, for example smart phones, are being used more frequently to provide such navigation features. Navigation applications on mobile computing devices rely on the specific carriers' networks to obtain location information of the mobile device and guide the user to and from their destinations. Unfortunately, when a phones navigation application maps a route to an end destination, the carriers' network coverage is not considered.
One common limitation, though, when using mobile devices in this manner is that wireless “dead zones” (zones where there is not sufficient wireless signal strength or bandwidth) cause an interruption in streaming-type services. In addition, driving from areas with less network congestion (for example, the suburbs) to areas of greater network congestion (e.g. urban centers) may also cause an interruption in streaming content due to the over-congested networks. Other examples of reception limitations involve situations where interference with other cell sites occurs or where the radio signal is interrupted or attenuated by local topography. Since mobile devices rely on radio waves, and radio waves travel through the air and are easily attenuated, other factors may cause mobile devices to be unreliable at times. Areas that exhibit such limitations may commonly be referred to as problem zones that represent areas of unfavorable network conditions. If the mobile device travels through problem zones during the journey, the navigation application may cease to function. Further, the problem becomes more severe if the span of problem zones.
Accordingly, there is a need for a system for providing navigation information based on coverage area assessment.
To overcome the limitations described above, and to overcome other limitations that will become apparent upon reading and understanding the present specification, embodiments for providing navigation information based on coverage area assessment are disclosed.
The above described problems are solved by route navigation based on detection of problem zones. A mobile device or a navigation device is knowledgeable of the underlying carriers' coverage including problem zones. An alternate route to a desired destination is computed so that the alternative route is completely within the coverage areas of the carrier while avoiding the problem zones. The alternative route may be presented to the user on a display device, such as a smart phone, a GPS device, laptop, etc.
A method for providing navigation information based on coverage area assessment is disclosed. The method includes identifying parameters for a trip to a destination, determining route possibilities to travel to the identified destination, obtaining data regarding coverage areas of a carrier associated with the route possibilities, including identification of problem zones, comparing determined route possibilities to the coverage areas of the carrier associated with the route possibilities, including the identification of problem zones, determining a route within the coverage areas of the carrier to the identified destination while avoiding the problem zones and presenting the determined route for navigation to the destination.
In another embodiment, a system for providing navigation information based on coverage area assessment is disclosed. The system includes a network of a carrier comprising coverage areas and at least one problem zone, a database for storing data identifying the coverage areas of a carrier and the at least one problem zone and a navigation device, coupled to the database, for obtaining the data identifying the coverage areas of a carrier and the at least one problem zone, and for determining route possibilities using parameters defining a trip to a destination, wherein the navigation device compares the determined route possibilities to the identified coverage areas of the carrier to determine a route within the coverage areas of the carrier to the identified destination while avoiding the problem zones and presenting the determined route for navigation to the destination.
In another embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium including instructions, that when executed provides navigation information based on coverage area assessment is disclosed. The instructions include identifying parameters for a trip to a destination, determining route possibilities to travel to the identified destination, obtaining data regarding coverage areas of a carrier associated with the route possibilities, including identification of problem zones, comparing determined route possibilities to the coverage areas of the carrier associated with the route possibilities, including the identification of problem zones, determining a route within the coverage areas of the carrier to the identified destination while avoiding the problem zones and presenting the determined route for navigation to the destination.
These and various other advantages and features of novelty are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and form a part hereof. However, for a better understanding of the disclosed embodiments, the advantages, and the objects obtained, reference should be made to the drawings which form a further part hereof, and to accompanying descriptive matter, in which there are illustrated and described specific examples of the disclosed embodiments.
Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numbers represent corresponding parts throughout:
a-b illustrate a suitable mobile computing environment, for example, a mobile computing device, a smart phone, a tablet personal computer, a laptop computer, and the like, with which embodiments may be practiced.
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to an alternative route solution that includes consideration of network coverage provided by a navigation application. A mobile device or a navigation device is knowledgeable of the underlying carriers' coverage including problem zones. An alternate route to a desired destination is computed so that the alternative route is completely within the coverage areas of the carrier while avoiding the problem zones. The alternative route may be presented to the user on a display device, such as a smart phone, a GPS device, laptop, etc.
Wireless carrier 120 provides the coverage information to the navigation/problem zone application 110 or updates the coverage information in real-time or periodically. In the first scenario, the navigation application is fully network aware and may not need to interface with anyone since it is housed within its domain.
A second scenario for implementing the system is the navigation application 110 may communicate with a carrier 120. Thus, the wireless carrier 120 and the navigation provider 150 may partner with one another to provide the coverage data. When a user wants a particular route mapped, the navigation application 110 prompts a database 130 hosted within the carrier 120 for the coverage area within that particular route and then provides turn by turn direction for that user. If the navigation application 110 and the carrier 120 communicate with one another, a third party 140 is not needed. The navigation provider 150 can communicate directly with the carrier 120 so that the navigation application 110 may obtain coverage information through a direct relationship with the carrier 120.
Alternatively, in a third scenario, the wireless carrier 120 may partner with a third party navigation vendor 140 and the navigation application 110 obtains the coverage data from the third party 140. The third party may house coverage information for all carriers 160, thus it maintains and updates carrier network information. The navigation application 110 accesses the information at the third party 140 through an interface to obtain network coverage. Thus, the navigation application 110 may work directly with the third party 140 to obtain information for a particular carrier.
The navigation application 110 receives parameters for a trip such as starting point and ending point, and then identifies potential routes for the trip (230). The navigation application then maps the route of the user based on the retrieved coverage area (240). Thus, the user is provided with an optimal route having coverage from the carrier 120 at all times during the trip based on the comparison of the identified potential routes and the obtained carrier coverage map.
However, cell 640 is a known problem zone. Thus, the user in automobile 610 will experience a substantial disruption in service while in problem zone cell 640 from point A 650 to point B 652 along route 620. As such, the common buffering methodology used to compensate for minor problems in data reception, cannot provide continuous delivery of data and therefore a significant portion of any streamed data will be lost. Those skilled in the art will recognize that data reception is only one parameter for which the embodiments described herein may compensate. For example, as described above, problem zone 640 may only represent a roaming area serviced by another carrier.
Therefore, a navigation device used by the driver of automobile 610 compares route possibilities to the coverage areas of the carrier, including the identification of problem zones. The possible route possibilities reveal the possibility of using cells 634 and 636 to reach destination C 654. Thus, the navigation device determines an alternative route 622 within the coverage areas of the carrier to the identified destination C 654 while avoiding the problem zones. The alternative route 622 veers from the original route 620 to use cells 634 and 636 to reach destination C 654 while avoiding problem zone 640. The alternate route 622 to destination C 654 that is completely within the coverage areas of the carrier while avoiding the problem zones may be presented to the user in automobile 610 on a display device, such as a smart phone, a GPS device, laptop, etc.
Computing devices may be implemented in different ways in different embodiments. For instance, in the example of
The memory 702 includes one or more computer-readable storage media capable of storing data and/or computer-executable instructions. Memory 702 thus may store the computer-executable instructions that, when executed by processor 704, provide navigation information based on coverage area assessment as described above with reference to
In various embodiments, the memory 702 is implemented in various ways. For example, the memory 702 can be implemented as various types of computer-readable storage media. Example types of computer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to, solid state memory, flash memory, dynamic random access memory (DRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), DDR2 SDRAM, DDR3 SDRAM, read-only memory (ROM), reduced latency DRAM, electrically-erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), and other types of devices and/or articles of manufacture that store data.
According to embodiments, the term computer-readable media includes communication media and computer-readable storage media. Communication media include information delivery media. Computer-executable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal, such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism, may be embodied on a communications medium. The term modulated data signal describes a signal that has one or more characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. For example, communication media can include wired media, such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media, such as acoustic, radio frequency (RF), infrared, and other wireless media.
The term computer-readable storage medium may also refer to devices or articles of manufacture that store data and/or computer-executable instructions readable by a computing device. The term computer-readable storage media encompasses volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in various methods or technologies for storage and retrieval of information. Such information can include data structures, program modules, computer-executable instructions, or other data.
The processing system 704 includes one or more processing units, which may include tangible integrated circuits that selectively execute computer-executable instructions. In various embodiments, the processing units in the processing system 704 are implemented in various ways. For example, the processing units in the processing system 704 can be implemented as one or more processing cores. In this example, the processing system 704 can comprise one or more Intel Core microprocessors. In another example, the processing system 704 can comprise one or more separate microprocessors. In yet another example embodiment, the processing system 704 can comprise Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) that provide specific functionality. In yet another example, the processing system 704 provides specific functionality by using an ASIC and by executing computer-executable instructions.
The computing device 700 may be enabled to send data to and receive data from a communication network via a network interface card 706. In different embodiments, the network interface card 706 is implemented in different ways, such as an Ethernet interface, a token-ring network interface, a fiber optic network interface, a wireless network interface (e.g., Wi-Fi, Wi-Max, etc.), or another type of network interface. The network interface may allow the device to communicate with other devices, such as over a wireless network in a distributed computing environment, a satellite link, a cellular link, and comparable mechanisms. Other devices may include computer device(s) that execute communication applications, storage servers, and comparable devices.
The secondary storage device 708 includes one or more computer-readable storage media, and may store data and computer-executable instructions not directly accessible by the processing system 704. That is, the processing system 704 performs an I/O operation to retrieve data and/or computer-executable instructions from the secondary storage device 708. In various embodiments, the secondary storage device 408 can be implemented as various types of computer-readable storage media, such as by one or more magnetic disks, magnetic tape drives, CD-ROM discs, DVD-ROM discs, BLU-RAY discs, solid state memory devices, and/or other types of computer-readable storage media.
The input device 710 enables the computing device 700 to receive input from a user. Example types of input devices include, but are not limited to, keyboards, mice, trackballs, stylus input devices, key pads, microphones, joysticks, touch-sensitive display screens, and other types of devices that provide user input to the computing device 700.
The video interface 712 outputs video information to the display unit 714. In different embodiments, the video interface 712 is implemented in different ways. For example, the video interface 712 is a video expansion card. In another example, the video interface 712 is integrated into a motherboard of the computing device 700. In various embodiments, the display unit 714 can be a an LCD display panel, a touch-sensitive display panel, an LED screen, a projector, a cathode-ray tube display, or another type of display unit. In various embodiments, the video interface 712 communicates with the display unit 714 in various ways. For example, the video interface 712 can communicate with the display unit 714 via a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector, a VGA connector, a digital visual interface (DVI) connector, an S-Video connector, a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) interface, a DisplayPort connector, or another type of connection.
The communications medium 716 facilitates communication among the hardware components of the computing device 700. In different embodiments, the communications medium 716 facilitates communication among different components of the computing device 700. For instance, in the example of
The memory 702 stores various types of data and/or software instructions. For instance, in the example of
Embodiments of the present invention may be utilized in various distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network in a distributed computing environment.
Moreover, embodiments may be implemented such that each or many of the components illustrated in
Data input to the device 760 may be performed via a variety of suitable means, such as, touch screen input via the display screen 805, keyboard or keypad input via a data entry area 810, key input via one or more selectable buttons or controls 815, voice input via a microphone 820 disposed on the device 760, photographic input via a camera 825 functionality associated with the mobile computing device, or any other suitable input means. Data may be output via the device 760 via any suitable output means, including but not limited to, display on the display screen 805, audible output via an associated speaker 830 or connected earphone system, vibration module for providing tactile output, and the like.
Referring now to
Although described herein in combination with mobile computing device 760, in alternative embodiments the invention may be used in combination with any number of computer systems, such as in desktop environments, laptop or notebook computer systems, multiprocessor systems, micro-processor based or programmable consumer electronics, networked PCs, mini computers, main frame computers and the like. Embodiments of the present invention may be utilized in various distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network in a distributed computing environment, and where programs may be located in both local and remote memory storage.
Embodiments, for example, are described above with reference to block diagrams and/or operational illustrations of methods, systems, and computer program products according to embodiments. The functions/acts noted in the blocks may occur out of the order as shown in any flowchart or described herein with reference to
While certain embodiments have been described, other embodiments may exist. Furthermore, although embodiments have been described as being associated with data stored in memory and other storage mediums, data can also be stored on or read from other types of computer-readable storage media, such as secondary storage devices, like hard disks, floppy disks, a CD-ROM, or other forms of RAM or ROM. Further, the disclosed processes may be modified in any manner, including by reordering and/or inserting or deleting a step or process, without departing from the embodiments.
The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiment of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. It is intended that the scope of the invention be limited not with this detailed description, but rather by the claims appended hereto.
This is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/340,299, filed Dec. 29, 2011, and titled “System, Method and Device for Providing Navigation Information Based on Coverage Area Assessment,” the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein, in its entirety, by reference.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 13340299 | Dec 2011 | US |
Child | 13465742 | US |