Navigation App Communication Interface for Driving Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users cannot conveniently communicate with a destination while using navigation applications on computing devices, such as mobile devices, as they must exit the navigation app to access contact information and make calls, which is unsafe and inconvenient while driving.
Innovation Solution
Integrating communication functionality within navigation applications, allowing users to display and select contact information associated with a destination, enabling direct communication, such as phone calls or text messages, without leaving the navigation app.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If users exit the navigation application to access contact information and make calls, then communication functionality is accessible, but user safety and convenience deteriorate due to the need to switch apps while driving
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges communication functionality with the navigation application by integrating a communication interface that allows users to initiate calls or send messages directly from the navigation app's user interface. This eliminates the need to exit the navigation application to access contact information, enabling users to communicate with destinations while maintaining focus on the navigation task and improving driving safety.
2Productivity
If users exit the navigation application to access contact information, then communication can be initiated, but time loss increases due to app switching and re-entry
Solution Approach 1:
The communication interface is merged into the navigation application's user interface, allowing users to access contact information and initiate communications directly from the navigation app without exiting or re-entering the application. This integration eliminates the time-consuming process of app switching and maintains continuous navigation context.
Solution Approach 2:
Contact information for destinations is pre-loaded and associated with location data within the navigation application. When users view navigation details, the associated contact information is already available for immediate access through the integrated communication interface, eliminating the need to search for or re-access contact details from external applications.
3Ease of operation
If communication functionality is integrated within the navigation application, then ease of operation improves by eliminating app switching, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The navigation application is designed with multi-functionality, serving both navigation purposes and communication functions through a unified interface. The same application environment handles both map display/navigation instructions and contact initiation, allowing a single interface to perform multiple functions without requiring separate dedicated applications for each purpose.
Data Source
AI summary
In general, this disclosure describes techniques for providing a user of a source computing device with the ability to communicate with a destination communication device, while using a navigation application that provides directions to a geographical location associated with the destination communication device. Specifically, the source computing device may provide within the navigation application a mechanism, such as a selectable item, that upon selection allows the user to communicate with the destination communication device without exiting the navigation application that is providing directions to the geographical locations associated with the destination communication device.