Abstract:
A webpage for a GPS device enables sending information automatically to the GPS device. The user can search on the search engine, and receive results. The results in the form of addresses or named in the automatically exported to the GPS device. The exporting may be wirelessly or via a portable hard drive.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Global positioning systems “GPS”s enable a user to find their current location. A GPS with a mapping function may store map data that guides a user to their destination. Different types of GPS units exist, including handheld GPS, portable GPS, and built-in GPS. A handheld GPS is are often integrated with a communication device such as a cell phone or a PDA. The handheld GPS may also have Internet access via the cellular or wifi connection in the unit. 
     GPS units may also include the capability of receiving alternative transmissions. For example, a portable GPS and car mounted GPS may receive supplemental transmissions either via satellite or via some alternative in the end, that includes traffic information. The traffic information, for example, may be transmitted on a low bandwidth channel, in some kind of text format, and maintained within the GPS. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present application describes exporting of information from an internet based device to a GPS. 
     One aspect describes exporting address information to the GPS. 
     Embodiments describe how an Internet webpage with a mapping database, is associated with information that can individually identify GPSs within the mapping database. The user can then transfer or send any information indicative of their mapped location to the individual GPS device. 
     Different transfer embodiments are disclosed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other aspects will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an embodiment with a webpage, and transfer of information to the GPS device; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an embodiment where information about destinations is retrieved from a server and displayed; 
         FIGS. 3A and 3B  show an embodiment where supplemental information about the destinations, such as menus, can be displayed on the GPS device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     An embodiment is shown in  FIG. 1. 100  represents a webpage, which may be either a webpage that is specific for the GPS device, or may be a webpage of a third party such as MapQuest or any other mapping webpage, or a restaurant or other business selection page such as “signon” or the like. The webpage may alternatively be a search engine, such as a search engine which enables finding information about any restaurants. These search engines often return maps to the restaurant, as well as street addresses and phone numbers. The web page may preferably include the ability to search names and/or maps. A user, for example, may enter a restaurant name and/or type and/or location, and receive results  110 . Any of the results may include a clickable address such as  111 . Alternatively, an address can be manually entered in an entry field such as  120 . 
     In the embodiment, a time can also be entered in filed  125  and also a description may be entered in  130 . A category may be selected from a pull down list  131 . Categories may include, ‘go now’ (default), ‘save for later’, ‘add to favorites’, ‘go to restaurant’, ‘go to store’, or other categories that can be saved as folders or the like on the GPS. 
     A separate control, e.g., button  135  commands that the currently-selected place and information be sent to the GPS. 
     This may send information indicative of the current place to the default GPS. If more information is needed, e.g., there is no the default GPS, or more than one GPS, then the send to GPS button  135  may bring up a supplemental page shown as  140 . The supplemental page may be a pop-up window such as a pop-up window, or may be a totally separate webpage. This page may allow a user to register GPS devices or use one of their already registered GPS devices to receive the information. This may enable the user to select, for example, GPS 1, selection  140 . This causes the information to be sent to a GPS server shown as  150 . The GPS server may be a dedicated server that is maintained by the maker of the GPS, or alternatively can be any server that has the ability of making a communication capability with the GPS. 
     The GPS devices are shown as  155 ,  156 ,  157 . each GPS includes, as conventional, a memory  181  that stores mapping data, favorites, and other stored information. The memory may also store media information such as MP3s, pictures, or videos. In this embodiment, the memory may also store downloaded information, such as information from the webpage. In other embodiments, the memory stores other information. A processor  182  carries out mapping, such as mapping from the user&#39;s current location determined from the GPS satellite information  184  to a desired location. A user interface  183  enables the user to enter desired locations and other information. 
     A GPS device includes a unique address  164 , which may be its serial number or any other information that enables communication with the GPS. In this way, any GPS can be identified by its unique address. Each of the GPS devices receives satellite information. GPS  155 , for example, is shown as receiving satellite information  160 . 
     In an embodiment, the GPS devices also receives a supplemental communication. The supplemental communication channel shown as  161  may be the same channel over which the GPS devices receive traffic information. For example, this may be a low bandwidth channel which sends text messages. It may be one like the “traffic message channel” used by the “Total Traffic Network”, or some other similar channel. The traffic channel may send a number of text messages or messages in, for example, XML format, where each XML tag represents the specific kind of information that is being sent. 
     In the embodiment, messages that are directed to the GPS may also be sent over this channel. For example, a message that is directed to a specific GPS may include a header such as in XML tag that includes the GPS is unique device as the header. Only that specific GPS device will then respond to that specific XML tag. 
     The message may be in the form of unique address shown as  161  followed by an address x shown as  162 . The address may be input purely in text form, and cause the address X to be automatically imported into, and stored within, the GPS. 
     In addition, the message may include supplemental information shown as  163  which may include a time or description. The description, for example, may be “lunch” or may be “dinner Thursday”. 
     According to another embodiment, multiple ‘go now’ destinations may be sent to the GPS device. Either the server  150  or the GPS device itself  155  can then decide an order for visiting the destinations. For example, the user might indicate they are going to Wal-Mart, having lunch at a specified location, and home as another destination, with a time of three o&#39;clock. The order and timing of destinations may then be set in the device. For example, if the word lunch appears, the GPS device may set the order of the destinations so that the user will be at the lunch destination some time between 12 and 1. The user may also set a specified time in which case the user will be sent to the device at the specified time. 
     In the embodiment, the information is sent from the server  150  that hosts or is associated with the webpage  100  to the GPS device over the traffic channel. It should be understood, that alternative channels can also be used. 
     If the device has Internet access, for example over the cellular network or wifi, the cellular network can be used to send the information. 
     The information can be sent over the satellite link  160 . 
     In addition to the wireless communication channels that have been described above (traffic, cellular, WiFi, satellite, and others) an additional embodiment may use a wired connection a the GPS device may include a USB port  190 , and the information can be saved on a USB hard drive or other kind of drive  191  that is inserted into the port  190 . The GPS device  155  may be programmed to automatically read address information off of the drive  191 , and automatically import it. In one embodiment, after importing the information, the information is either removed from the drive  191 , or marked as already imported to avoid duplicate importations. 
     Any channel can be used although the channel that is already used to send traffic information may be preferred. Also, while it is preferred that the information be automatically imported into the GPS device and automatically entered into one of the lists within the GPS device (such as favorites, previous destinations or the like) it may also be possible to prompt the user before entering this data. Both automatically importing, and prompting the user before importing the information are both considered to the automatic transferring, since the user does not need to type in the information again. 
     Also, the communication need not be instantaneous. When a user sends a destination to their GPS, the present system recognizes that there is typically at least a 10 minute delay, and often much more, before the user actually gets to their car and uses their GPS. Therefore, sending this information over a low bandwidth channel, for example a 28.8 Kbaud channel, is perfectly acceptable and enables avoiding any problems that could otherwise be associated with trying to send the information in real time. The user typically does not need the information to get to their GPS in real time.in one embodiment, for example, the sending to the GPS may be delayed, for example by two minutes or more, more preferably by five minutes or more. It will take the user at least as long to get from their location to the GPS. 
     Another embodiment is shown in  FIG. 2 . In this embodiment, the user can search for certain kinds of services, and receives supplemental information on their GPS device, either over a high-bandwidth channel or a low bandwidth channel. In the embodiment, the user may be using their GPS to search for a local service. The user uses the virtual keypad on the GPS  200  to enter a word, here pizza. The word pizza is used to search in the GPS&#39;s internal memory for any matches. However, this will likely only match a restaurant that has the word pizza in it. Even a word such as pizzeria may not match directly to pizza. If no matches to the word pizza are found, or if a manual request for more information is sent, then the GPS sends a service exception call over the channel  210  to the server  215 . The service exception call  210  includes the search term, and also includes information indicative of the GPS device&#39;s current location. 
     Based on pre-stored parameters, for example a 10 Minute Drive, the server searches its own database  225  to look for restaurants that serve pizza within the local area. Any responses are sent back to the device  199 . While this kind of searching over a low bandwidth channel may take some time, it still produces better results. 
     Another embodiment, shown in  FIG. 3  allows a user to select a name of a local restaurant, e.g., by entering it, or selecting from a list. Different options are shown on the menu, as conventional, the guide- to button  300 , and the other buttons. Another button may include a more information button  310 . For more information button causes the information to be sent to the server  215 . The server contacts its local database and returns whatever information it may have about the selected restaurant. For example, the server may have a full or partial menu. If the menu is available, it is displayed as shown in figure  FIG. 3B . This illustrates the displayed menu, displayed on the same screen that usually displays the GPS. The entire menu may be displayed in this way. The screen also includes a back button, shown as  320 , which allows going back to the screen shown in  FIG. 3A . 
     An advantage of this system is that a user can see the menu before going to a restaurant. The user can also get further information about the restaurant. For example, the user might be able to find the days specials for a restaurant. For example for a bar the user can find what beers the bar has a draft, any specials or seasonal selections, and the user can also find out if the bar has a liquor license. 
     As in the other embodiments, this embodiment may enable operation over the same channel that sends traffic reports or using the other channels described herein. 
     Local information, for example information about multiple local restaurants, may be downloaded off a webpage, and stored on a USB device. Accordingly, up-to-date local information about the restaurants can be obtained from the USB device. In this embodiment, therefore, the menu and specials, may be updated at one time, and requested and displayed by the GPS device at some other time 
     The general structure and techniques, and more specific embodiments which can be used to effect different ways of carrying out the more general goals are described herein. 
     Although only a few embodiments have been disclosed in detail above, other embodiments are possible and the inventor (s) intend these to be encompassed within this specification. The specification describes specific examples to accomplish a more general goal that may be accomplished in another way. This disclosure is intended to be exemplary, and the claims are intended to cover any modification or alternative which might be predictable to a person having ordinary skill in the art. For example, different wireless and wired techniques may be used with the devices, and any guidance device, whether it uses GPS or not, can be modified in this way. 
     Also, the inventor(s) intend that only those claims which use the words “means for” are intended to be interpreted under 35 USC 112, sixth paragraph. Moreover, no limitations from the specification are intended to be read into any claims, unless those limitations are expressly included in the claims. The computers described herein may be any kind of computer, either general purpose, or some specific purpose computer such as a workstation. The computer may be an Intel (e.g., Pentium or Core 2 duo) or AMD based computer, running Windows XP or Linux, or may be a Macintosh computer. The computer may also be a handheld computer, such as a PDA, cellphone, or laptop. 
     The programs may be written in C, or Java, Brew or any other programming language. The programs may be resident on a storage medium, e.g., magnetic or optical, e.g. the computer hard drive, a removable disk or media such as a memory stick or SD media, or other removable medium. The programs may also be run over a network, for example, with a server or other machine sending signals to the local machine, which allows the local machine to carry out the operations described herein. 
     Where a specific numerical value is mentioned herein, it should be considered that the value may be increased or decreased by 20%, while still staying within the teachings of the present application, unless some different range is specifically mentioned. Where a specified logical sense is used, the opposite logical sense is also intended to be encompassed.