Computer aided routing and positioning system

A computer-aided routing and positioning system (CARPS) for use with a device that includes geocoding capability, said CARPS comprising:

• a digital computer having a computer display;
• a map database providing a set of electronic maps for presentation on said computer display, wherein said electronic maps are capable of depicting transportation routes having identifiable waypoints including route intersections at geographical locations along said transportation routes, said identifiable waypoints depictable on said electronic maps being identifiable in said computer by coordinate locations of a selected geographical coordinate system;
• a CARPS database of geographically locatable points of interest (POIs) identifiable by coordinate locations in said geographical coordinate system, said POIs being organized into a plurality of types for user selection of POIs by type, said POI types including overlays of said CARPS database for display over said electronic maps on said computer display;
• CARPS software permitting user travel planning using said electronic maps presented on said computer display by providing user selection of selected waypoints that include at least a travel origin and a travel destination and can include intermediate waypoints, wherein said CARPS software is capable of determining intermediate waypoints between said travel origin and said travel destination, calculating, delineating, and displaying a user-defined travel route between said travel origin and said travel destination via said intermediate waypoints according to user choice of shortest travel route, quickest travel route, or user-selected preferred travel route;
• wherein said user selection of said selected waypoints occurs remote from said digital computer, wherein said selected waypoints are recorded by said user with a device that includes geocoding capability,
• wherein said CARPS software permits downloading from said geocoding capable device to said digital computer of data that includes said selected waypoints, wherein said CARPS software permits user selection of a region of interest along said user-defined travel route, said region of interest having user-specified dimensions, and wherein said CARPS software permits user selection of specified POI types within said region and user selection of particular POIs from a selected type within said region of interest, said region of interest being identifiable in said computer by coordinate locations of said geographical coordinate system,
• wherein said CARPS database includes travel information selected from a group consisting of graphics, photos, videos, animations, audio information, and text information about POIs of said CARPS database and about waypoints of said electronic maps,
• wherein said CARPS software permits uploading from said digital computer to said geocoding-capable device of data that includes said selected waypoints and selected POIs, so as to provide guidance of said user remote from said digital computer,
• said CARPS software being constructed to present a user-customized travelog for preview on said computer display of said user-defined travel route including said travel information in said CARPS database on said waypoints of said electronic maps and said selected POIs of said CARPS database in said user-defined region of interest along said user-defined travel route, said CARPS software also being constructed to display a user-customized strip map of said user-defined travel route along said center of said screen, user-selected POIs in said user-defined region of interest being listed along one side of said strip map with pointers to respective POI locations in said user-defined region of interest, and travel directions along said travel route being listed along said other side of said strip map with pointers to respective intersections corresponding to directions along said user-selected travel route, wherein
• said user-customized strip map is vertically oriented with said travel origin at said bottom of said strip map and said travel destination toward said top of said strip map.

A computer-aided routing and positioning method (CARPM) using a digital computer with computer display, a map database providing electronic maps having transportation routes, route intersections and identifiable waypoints along said transportation routes for presentation on said computer display, computer aided routing and positioning system (CARPS) software constructed for user travel planning, and a device that includes geocoding capability, said CARPM comprising:

• presenting said electronic maps on said computer display;
• providing an interface between a device that includes geocoding capability and a digital computer for a transfer of data therebetween;
• selecting on said electronic maps at least a user travel origin and a travel destination;
• determining intermediate waypoints between said travel origin and said travel destination;
• calculating, delineating, and displaying on said computer display a travel route between said travel origin and said travel destination via said intermediate waypoints according to user choice of a shortest travel route, quickest travel route, user-selected preferred travel route, or said transferred data;
• selecting a region of interest to said user along said user-defined travel route, said region having user-defined dimensions limiting excursions on either side of said user-defined travel route;
• providing a CARPS database of geographically locatable points of interest (POIs) in said geographical areas of said electronic maps, said POIs being organized into a plurality of types for user selection of POI by types, said POI types including overlays of said CARPS database for display over said electronic maps on said computer display, said CARPS database also including travel information selected from a group consisting of graphics, photos, videos, animations, audio information and text information about transportation routes and waypoints of said electronic maps and POIs of said CARPS database;
• identifying in said digital computer said transportation routes, route intersections, and waypoints of said electronic maps, region of interest selected by said user, and said selected POIs of said CARPS database, by coordinate locations in a common geographical coordinate system;
• selecting specified POI types in said user-defined region of interest along said user-defined travel route and selecting particular POIs from said selected types in said region;
• and
• assembling and displaying on said computer display a user-customized travelog for preview of said user-defined travel route, said travelog including travel information in said CARPS database on said transportation routes and waypoints of said electronic maps and selected POIs in said user-defined region of interest along said user-defined travel route.

A computer aided routing and positioning system (CARPS) for use with a device that includes geocoding capability comprising:

• a digital computer having a computer display;
• a map database providing a set of electronic maps for presentation on said computer display, said electronic maps depicting transportation routes having identifiable waypoints including route intersections at geographical locations along said transportation routes, said identifiable waypoints depicted on said electronic maps being identifiable in said computer by coordinate locations of a selected geographical coordinate system;
• a CARPS database of geographically locatable points of interest (POIs) identifiable by coordinate locations in said geographical coordinate system, said POIs being organized into a plurality of types for user selection of POIs by type, said POI types including overlays of said CARPS database for display over said electronic maps on said computer display;
• CARPS software constructed for user travel planning using said electronic maps presented on said computer display, said CARPS software permitting user selection of selected waypoints that include a travel origin, a travel destination, and intermediate waypoints between said travel origin and said travel destination, said CARPS software calculating, delineating, and displaying a travel route between said travel origin and said travel destination via said intermediate waypoints according to user choice of a shortest travel route, quickest travel route, or user-selected preferred travel route, said CARPS software also permitting user selection of a region of interest along said user-defined travel route, said region of interest having user-specified dimensions and permitting user selection of specified POI types within said region of interest and user selection of particular POIs from said selected types within said region of interest, said region of interest being identifiable in said computer by coordinate locations of said geographical coordinate system;
• and
• wherein said CARPS database includes travel information selected from a group consisting of graphics, photos, videos, animations, audio information, and text information about POIs of said CARPS database and about said transportation routes and said identifiable waypoints of said electronic maps,
• wherein said CARPS software permits data transfer between (a) a device that includes geocoding capability and (b) said digital computer.

A computer aided routing and positioning system (CARPS) for use with a global positioning system (GPS) receiver comprising:

• a digital computer having a computer display;
• a map database providing a set of electronic maps for presentation on said computer display, wherein said electronic maps depicts transportation routes having identifiable waypoints being identifiable in said digital computer by coordinate locations of a selected geographical coordinate system;
• a CARPS database of geographically locatable points of interest (POIs) identifiable by coordinate locations in said geographical coordinate system, said POIs being organized into a plurality of types for user selection of POIs by type, said POI types including overlays of said CARPS database for display over said electronic maps on said computer display;
• CARPS software permitting user selection of selected waypoints that include at least a travel origin and a travel destination and can include intermediate waypoints, said CARPS software capable of determining intermediate waypoints between said travel origin and said travel destination, and of calculating, delineating, and displaying an optimized travel route between said travel origin and said travel destination via said intermediate waypoints according to user choice of (a) a shortest travel route, (b) a quickest travel route, or (c) a user-selected preferred travel route, said CARPS software also permitting user selection of a region of interest along said user-defined travel route, said region of interest having user-specified dimensions and permitting user selection of specified POI types selected from geographical landmarks within said region of interest and user selection of particular POIs from said selected types within said region of interest, said region of interest being identifiable in said computer by coordinate locations, of said geographical coordinate system, said CARPS software assembling routing data that includes said travel destination, said intermediate waypoints, said POIs, and said travel destination, said CARPS software permitting transfer of said routing data between a GPS device and said digital computer.

A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instruction executable by said machine to perform in association with a device that includes geocoding capability method steps for computer-aided routing, said method steps comprising:

• recording a first series of waypoints on a GPS receiver;
• presenting electronic maps on a computer display;
• downloading said first series of waypoints from said GPS receiver to a computer aided routing and positioning system (CARPS);
• converting said first series of waypoints field to a user travel origin, intermediate waypoints, and a travel destination;
• calculating, delineating, and displaying on said computer display a travel route between said user travel origin and travel destination via said intermediate waypoints according to user choice of a shortest travel route, a quickest travel route, or a user-selected preferred travel route;
• selecting a region of interest to said user along route of said user-chosen travel route, said region having user-defined dimensions limiting excursions on either side of said user-defined travel route;
• providing a CARPS database of geographically locatable points of interest (POIs) in said geographical areas of said electronic maps, said POIs being organized into a plurality of type for user selection of POIs by type, said POI types including overlays of said CARPS database for display over said electronic maps on said computer display, said CARPS database also including travel information selected from a group consisting of graphics, photos, videos, animations, audio information and text information about transportation routes and waypoints of said electronic maps and POIs of said CARPS database;
• identifying in said digital computer said transportation routes, route intersections, and waypoints of said electronic maps, region of interest selected by said user, and said selected POIs of said CARPS database, by coordinate locations in a common geographical coordinate system;
• selecting specified POI types in said user-defined region of interest along said user-defined travel route and selecting particular POIs from said selected types in said region;
• assembling and displaying on said computer display a user-customized travelog for preview of said user-defined travel route, said travelog including travel information in said CARPS database on said transportation routes and waypoints of said electronic maps and selected POIs in said user-defined region of interest along said user-defined travel route;
• converting said user-defined travel route to a second series of waypoints;
• uploading said second series of waypoints to said GPS receiver for remote guidance of said user along said user-defined travel route.