Navigation system acquisition and use of cellular coverage map data

摘要

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.

主权项

1. A computer-readable memory storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform:
requesting, at a mobile device, from a server, wireless network signal strength map data that pertains to a geographical location of the mobile device at the time of the request; receiving the wireless network signal strength map at the mobile device data from the server; and transmitting the wireless network signal strength map data from the mobile device to a vehicular navigation system that uses the wireless network signal strength map data to: calculate a separate score for each route of a plurality of routes by computing a sub-score for each geographical region of a plurality of geographical regions represented in the wireless network signal strength map data based at least in part on a wireless network signal strength level for that particular geographical region as indicated in the wireless network signal strength map data and a quantity of time that a vehicle containing the vehicular navigation system is predicted to travel through that particular geographical region; and select and present, on a display of the vehicular navigation system, based on the scores calculated for routes of the plurality of routes, a subset of routes from a plurality of routes leading from the geographical location of the mobile device to a specified destination.