# US 11,112,254 B2 · Navigation system acquisition and use of cellular coverage map data > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,112,254 B2 - Document ID: US11112254B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/692,368 - Filed: 2019-11-22 - Published: 2020-05-28 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2012-08-31 - Assignees: Apple Inc. - Applicants: Apple Inc. - Inventors: Swapnil R. Dave; Devrim Varoglu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11112254B2 ## CPC - G01C 21/34: Route searching; Route guidance - G01C 21/3453: {Special cost functions, i.e. other than distance or default speed limit of road segments} - G01C 21/3461: {Preferred or disfavoured areas, e.g. dangerous zones, toll or emission zones, intersections, manoeuvre types or segments such as motorways, toll roads or ferries} - H04L 1/20: using signal quality detector - H04W 4/024: Guidance services - H04W 4/40: for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P] - H04W 24/08: Testing, {supervising or monitoring} using real traffic - G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A mobile device can obtain wireless network signal strength map data that indicates, for various nearby geographical regions, the wireless network signal strength in each such region. A mobile device can transmit that data to a vehicular navigation system responsible for automatically selecting a high-quality route of vehicular travel between a specified source and destination. The system can take the wireless network signal map data into account when selecting that route. When selecting from among multiple different routes of vehicular travel between a specified source and destination, the system may employ an algorithm that considers wireless network signal strengths along those routes, in addition to the other factors. Consequently, the system can select a longer route having better signal strength over a shorter route having worse signal strength. The system can present the selected route within a set of suggested routes, potentially along with reasons for each route's suggestion. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device, comprising: one or more processors; a memory storing instructions that, when executed on or across the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to implement a vehicle navigation system configured to: determine a signal strength map based at least in part on signal strength data for a plurality of areas; select a route to a destination from a plurality of routes to the destination based at least in part on respective signal strength data for respective areas of the plurality of areas; and send an indication of the selected route to a display. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, further comprising: a network interface configured to measure the signal strength data. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The device of claim 2, wherein the vehicle navigation system is further configured to: send, to a remote server, the signal strength data. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the vehicle navigation system is further configured to: send, to a remote server, a request for the signal strength data; and receive, from the remote server, the signal strength data. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The device of claim 4, wherein the signal strength data is received repeatedly over time. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein a vehicle comprises the display. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The device of claim 6, further comprising: a wireless communication channel configured to communicatively couple to the vehicle, wherein the indication of the selected route is sent via the wireless communication channel. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The device of claim 6, further comprising: a wired communication channel configured to communicatively couple to the vehicle, wherein the indication of the selected route is sent via a guided medium coupled to the wired communication channel. ### Claim 9 A method, comprising: determining, by a mobile device, a signal strength map based at least in part on signal strength data for a plurality of areas; selecting, by the mobile device, a route to a destination from a plurality of routes to the destination based at least in part on respective signal strength data for respective areas of the plurality of areas; and sending, from the mobile device, an indication of the selected route to a display. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising: measuring, by the mobile device, the signal strength data. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: sending, from the mobile device to a remote server, the signal strength data. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising: sending, from the mobile device to a remote server, a request for the signal strength data; and receiving, at the mobile device from the remote server, the signal strength data. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the signal strength data is received at the mobile device repeatedly over time. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein a vehicle comprises the display, and wherein the mobile device is communicatively coupled to the vehicle. ### Claim 15 One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing instructions that, when executed on or across one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: determine a signal strength map based at least in part on signal strength data for a plurality of areas; select a route to a destination from a plurality of routes to the destination based at least in part on respective signal strength data for respective areas of the plurality of areas; and send an indication of the selected route to a display. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 15, further comprising instructions that, when executed on or across one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: measure the signal strength data. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 16, further comprising instructions that, when executed on or across one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: send, to a remote server, the signal strength data. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 15, further comprising instructions that, when executed on or across one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: send, to a remote server, a request for the signal strength data; and receive, from the remote server, the signal strength data. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the signal strength data is received repeatedly over time. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 19, wherein a vehicle comprises the display.