System and method of providing information to an onboard information device in a vehicle

摘要

A system and method of providing information to an onboard information device in a vehicle includes an onboard information device, such that the onboard information device is a handheld computer and a user interest profile is maintained within a memory of the onboard information device. The system includes an onboard communication system operatively connecting to the onboard information device, such that the; onboard communication system determines a location of the user from a positioning signal transmitted by a global positioning system. The system also includes a travel information system in communication with the onboard information device, such that the travel information system maintains a hierarchically indexed information database and the travel information system provides the onboard communication device with information of interest to the user based on the user profile and the user location.