Abstract:
A method for obtaining directions to fixed location such as a restaurant includes using a telephone to call the restaurant, and providing a prompt to the caller during the call to push a button on the telephone to download GPS location of the restaurant. The GPS information is transferred from the telephone to a navigation module in a vehicle which displays a map showing the route to the restaurant.

Description:
I. FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to systems and methods for obtaining map coordinates to fixed locations, such as restaurants. 
     II. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Subscription services have been introduced to provide cellular telephone users with location information to service providers such as restaurants on a subscription basis. An example of such a system is disclosed in Japanese patent publication JP2003075189. 
     As understood herein, from the service provider&#39;s viewpoint it might be less than optimum to leave to the tender mercies of a wireless carrier subscription service the transferring of map information to a patron searching for the location of the service provider. Accordingly, the invention herein is provided. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A method for obtaining directions to fixed location such as a restaurant includes using a telephone to call the fixed location. The method also includes providing a prompt to the caller during the call to push a button on the telephone to download a navigation code from the fixed location. The code includes GPS location of the fixed location. The method then includes transferring the code from the telephone to a navigation module in a vehicle, and using the navigation module to aurally or visually display directions to the fixed location. 
     In preferred implementations the telephone communicates with the navigation module such that the code from the fixed location is automatically provided by the telephone to the navigation module. The preferred telephone is a wireless telephone and the telephone uses a wired link to communicate with the navigation module. Or, the telephone can be a wireless telephone that uses a wireless link to communicate with the navigation module. 
     In another aspect, a wireless telephone system includes a wireless telephony transceiver and a telephone processor communicating with the transceiver. A key entry input device communicates with the processor such that a user of the system can call a fixed location and in response to a prompt enter a selection into the processor for transmission of the selection to the fixed location. The transceiver receives back from the fixed location geographic location data of the fixed location in response, with the processor causing directions to the fixed location to be displayed in response to the geographic location data. 
     In still another aspect, a fixed location includes means for receiving telephone calls, and means for, in response to the telephone calls, providing automatic prompts including a prompt to select to have a GPS navigation code representing latitude and longitude of the fixed location downloaded over a telephony network to a calling telephone. 
     The details of the present invention, both as to its structure and operation, can best be understood in reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which: 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a preferred non-limiting system in accordance with present principles; and 
         FIG. 2  is a flow chart of preferred non-limiting logic in accordance with present principles. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring initially to  FIG. 1 , a system is shown, generally designated  10 , which includes wireless modules such as a portable wireless telephone  12  having a telephone processor  14  accessing a computer readable medium  16  that stores logic for executing various methods discussed herein. The telephone processor  14  may receive input from a keypad  18  and may output text, numbers, and video information on a telephone display  20 . The wireless telephone  12  may send and receive information using a wireless telephony interface  22  that may employ, without limitation, code division multiple access (CDMA), global system for mobile communication (GSM), time division multiple access (TDMA), wideband CDMA (W-CDMA), space division multiple access (SDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) principles known in the art to effect wireless communication. 
     Additionally, in some implementations the wireless telephone  12  may include a navigation module interface  24  for communicating, via a wired or wireless link  25 , with a navigation module  26  mounted in a vehicle  28 . Specifically, the telephone navigation module interface  24  communicates over the link  25  with a complementarily-configured navigation module communication interface  30 . The navigation module  26  may contain a module processor  32  accessing a computer readable medium  34  that stores computer code embodying logic discussed herein to present map information on a navigation module display  36 . The various computer readable media disclosed herein may be solid state media, disk-based media, or other appropriate media, fixed or removable in their respective components. 
     The link  25  may be a wired link such as but not limited to a universal serial bus (USB) link or an Ethernet link. Or, the link  25  may be a wireless link such as a Bluetooth link, a near field communication (NFC) link, a personal area network (PAN) link, or even a telephony link, in which latter case the navigation module interface  24  of the wireless telephone  12  may be omitted and the wireless telephony interface  22  used in its place. In any case, the telephone and module communication interfaces  24 ,  30  are structured according to the type of link being used. The navigation module  26  may include a GPS receiver  35  for receiving GPS location information pertaining to the location of the vehicle. The telephone  12  likewise may include a GPS receiver if desired. 
     In accordance with disclosure below, the telephone  12  can communicate via a wireless telephony network with one or more fixed locations  37  such as, e.g., restaurants or other public service providers or indeed with private dwellings implementing the invention herein. The fixed location  37  is geographically fixed, and its geographic location may be stored on a computer readable medium  38  in the form of, e.g., global positioning satellite (GPS) location, such that a fixed location processor  40  can communicate the location information via a telephony interface  42  that is associated with the fixed location to the telephone  12 . The telephony interface  42  may be part of a telephone answering system that can include automatic menu prompts in accordance with disclosure below. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 2 , commencing at block  50  a person who typically would be an occupant of the vehicle  28  uses the telephone  12  to call the telephone number of the fixed location  37 , which for illustration will be referred to as a “restaurant” in the following discussion. When the connection is made, the restaurant processor  40  causes an automatic menu prompt routine to be transmitted to the telephone  12 , with the menu prompt routine including a prompt for obtaining geographic location data. For example, the restaurant can prompt the telephone user to “press one for GPS location data.” 
     At block  54 , the user can press “1” on the telephone keypad  18 , which is transmitted back to the restaurant to cause the restaurant processor  40  to automatically download the GPS location of the restaurant, usually in the form of a navigation code representing latitude and longitude, to the telephone  12 . The data is received by the telephone  12  at block  56 , and in some implementations at block  58  the logic of the telephone  12  can access the telephone&#39;s GPS location and map data that may be stored on, e.g., the medium  16  (in essence, a navigation module within the telephone  12 ) to cause a map or other directions such as text directions or aural instructions (e.g., “turn right at the next light”) to be displayed. Visual directions may be displayed on the telephone display  20  showing the route from the current location of the telephone  12  to the restaurant. According to present principles, the map is derived using, as starting location, the telephone&#39;s GPS location and as end destination, the GPS information received from the restaurant. 
     More preferably, in addition to or in lieu of presenting the map on the telephone, at block  58  the restaurant location data is automatically sent from the telephone  12  to the vehicle navigation module  28  over the link  25  at block  58 . Consequently, at block  60  the logic of the navigation module  26  can access the vehicle&#39;s GPS location from the GPS receiver  35  and map data that may be stored on, e.g., the medium  34  to cause a map or other directions to be displayed on the navigation module display  36  of the route from the current location of the vehicle  28  to the restaurant. In addition or alternatively the module  28  may display aural directions. According to present principles, the map is derived using, as starting location, the vehicle&#39;s GPS location and as end destination, the GPS information received from the restaurant. 
     While the particular SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OBTAINING MAP COORDINATES TO FIXED LOCATION is herein shown and described in detail, it is to be understood that the subject matter which is encompassed by the present invention is limited only by the claims.