Patent Application

App. No. 12/113,142

Abstract

Claims (46)

1 . A system for sharing destinations, comprising:

a communications device for transmitting a destination location and a designated recipient of the destination location, at least one of the destination location or the designated recipient being selected by a user, wherein the designated recipient is a person or entity other than the user; and

a call center including:

an advisor configured to receive the destination location and the designated recipient of the destination location;

a communications system operable by the advisor for pushing a message to an electronic device of the designated recipient regarding the destination location; and

a central computer system operable by the advisor for identifying in a profile of the designated recipient that the destination location has been shared.

2 . The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the communications device is selected from an in-vehicle telematics device and a computer located remote from the call center that is capable of accessing a remotely accessible page selectively operatively connected to the call center.

3 . The system as defined in claim 2 wherein the remotely accessible page includes:

a first activation option for initiating a navigation function; and

a second activation option for initiating a shared destination function.

4 . The system as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a database for storing the profile of the designated recipient.

5 . The system as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a navigation system operatively connected to at least one of the communications device or the call center and configured to generate navigation instructions to the destination location, wherein the navigation instructions are at least one of pushed with the message to the electronic device or stored in the designated recipient's profile.

6 . The system as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a list of recipients stored in at least one of the communications device or at the call center.

7 . A system for sharing destinations, comprising:

a server;

a remotely accessible page operatively connected to the server, the remotely accessible page including:

a first activation option for initiating a navigation function utilizing i) no starting point, ii) a starting point entered by a user, or iii) a starting point obtained by the system from a vehicle; and

a second activation option for initiating a shared destination function; and

a call center advisor configured to receive information, input via the remotely accessible page, pertaining to the navigation function and the shared destination function, and to at least one of alert a profile of a designated recipient with a shared destination or push a message to an electronic device of the designated recipient of the shared destination, wherein the designated recipient is a person or entity other than the user.

8 . The system as defined in claim 7 wherein the information pertaining to the shared destination function includes a distribution list including the designated recipient.

9 . The system as defined in claim 7 wherein the information pertaining to the navigation function includes navigation instructions to the shared destination.

10 . The system as defined in claim 9 wherein the information pertaining to the navigation function further includes a then-current position of a user of the remotely accessible page; an estimated time of arrival of the user, the designated recipient, an other designated recipient, or combinations thereof to the shared destination; a rendezvous point; a rendezvous time; or combinations thereof.

11 . The system as defined in claim 7 wherein the shared destination function includes a prompt regarding sharing a destination, and a prompt regarding i) selecting the designated recipient from a previously stored list or ii) inputting the designated recipient via the remotely accessible page.

12 . The system as defined in claim 11 wherein the previously stored list contains recipient contact information selected from a URL, a phone number, a user name, an email address, or combinations thereof.

13 . The system as defined in claim 11 , further comprising:

a call center with which the server is associated; and

a database located at the call center which stores a profile containing the previously stored list.

14 . The system as defined in claim 7 , further comprising a navigation system in operative communication with the remotely accessible page and configured to generate navigation instructions in response to initiation of the navigation function, wherein the navigation instructions are at least one of pushed with the message to the electronic device or stored in the designated recipient's profile.

15 . The system as defined in claim 7 wherein the electronic device is selected from an in-vehicle telematics unit, a cellular phone, a landline phone, a computer, a personal digital assistant, or combinations thereof.

16 . A method for sharing destinations, the method comprising:

selecting, via a user, a destination location;

determining, via the user, a designated recipient for the destination location;

transmitting, via a communications device, the destination location and the designated recipient of the destination location to a call center advisor; and

sharing, via the call center advisor, the destination location with the designated recipient by either pushing a message to an electronic device of the designated recipient regarding the destination location or identifying in a profile of the designated recipient that the destination location has been shared, wherein the designated recipient is a person or entity other than the user.

17 . The method as defined in claim 16 wherein selecting the destination location and determining a designated recipient for the destination location are accomplished using a communications device selected from an in-vehicle telematics device and a computer located remote from the call center that is capable of accessing a remotely accessible page selectively operatively connected to the call center.

18 . The method as defined in claim 17 wherein selecting the destination location is accomplished using the remotely accessible page, and includes utilizing a first activation option for initiating a navigation function utilizing i) no starting point, ii) a starting point entered by a user, or iii) a starting point obtained by the system from a vehicle.

19 . The method as defined in claim 17 wherein determining the designated recipient is accomplished using the remotely accessible page, and includes:

indicating, via a prompt regarding sharing the destination location, that the destination location should be shared; and

either selecting the designated recipient from a previously stored list or inputting the designated recipient via the remotely accessible page.

20 . The method as defined in claim 19 wherein prior to selecting the designated recipient from a previously stored list, the method further comprising:

creating a list of contacts; and

storing the list of contacts in a user account that is accessible via the remotely accessible page.

21 . The method as defined in claim 17 , further comprising:

generating navigation instructions to the destination location; and

sharing the navigation instructions with the designated recipient.

22 . The method as defined in claim 17 , further comprising sharing at least one of a then-current position of a user of the remotely accessible page; an estimated time of arrival of the user, the designated recipient, an other designated recipient, or combinations thereof to the shared destination; a rendezvous point; a rendezvous time; or combinations thereof with the designated recipient.

Assignments (14)