Methods and Systems for Routing Travel Between Origin and Destination Service Locations Using Global Satellite Positioning

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for obtaining information related to a customer service location and directions for routing a service technician from one customer service location to another. One embodiment includes requesting at least one set of coordinates associated with the customer service location; accessing a technician server to direct a global satellite positioning system to obtain the set of coordinates for the customer service location; obtaining the coordinates and updating one or more databases with said coordinates. The coordinates may include at least one of a latitude and a longitude associated with the customer service location. Another embodiment includes obtaining through a technician server at least one set of “from” coordinates associated with the first customer service location and at least one set of “to” coordinates associated with the second customer location; transmitting the “from” and “to” coordinates to a mapping system; and, generating directions in the mapping system based on the “to” and “from” coordinates. At least one of the sets of coordinates includes latitude and longitude data. System and computer-readable media embodiments of these methods are also provided.

1 .- 27 . (canceled)  
   
   
       28 . A method for updating a location database the method comprising: 
 receiving, at an input device, a set of “from” coordinates associated with a location;    receiving, at the input device, when the input device is at the location, a set of current location coordinates associated with the location, the input device interacting with a positioning system to obtain the set of current location coordinates;    determining, at the input device, that the set of “from” coordinates do not match the set of current location coordinates; and    in response to determining that the set of “from” coordinates do not match the set of current location coordinates, updating the location database with the set of current location coordinates.    
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein receiving, at the input device, the set of “from” coordinates associated with the location comprises receiving the set of “from” coordinates wherein the set of “from” coordinates associated with the location was previously obtained and saved by a server, wherein the server previously requested the set of “from” coordinates associated with the current location gathered during a previous visit to the current location.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein receiving, at the input device, the set of “from” coordinates associated with the location comprises receiving the set of “from” coordinates wherein the set of “from” coordinates associated with the location was previously obtained and saved by a server, wherein the server previously requested the set of “from” coordinates associated with the current location gathered during a previous visit to the current location wherein a server database is operatively associated with the server.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising accessing a positioning system to obtain the set of “from” coordinates.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising the positioning system interacting with a transponder associated with a vehicle.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising the positioning system interacting with a transponder associated with the input device.  
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising requesting the set of “from” coordinates through the input device.  
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising receiving directions including at least one map.  
   
   
       36 . An input device for updating a location database the input device comprising: 
 a memory storage; and    a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein the processing unit is operative to: 
 receive a set of “from” coordinates associated with a location,  
 receive, from the location database, when the input device is at the location, a set of current location coordinates associated with the location,  
 determine that the set of “from” coordinates do not match the set of current location coordinates,  
 in response to determining that the set of “from” coordinates do not match the set of current location coordinates, saving the set of current location coordinates as an update set of “from” coordinates, and  
 transmitting the updated set of “from” coordinates to the location database.  
   
   
   
       37 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the processing unit operative to receive the set of “from” coordinates associated with the location comprises the processing unit being operative to receive a previously obtained set of “from” coordinates associated with the location, wherein the previously obtained set of “from” coordinates associated with the location was previously obtained during a previous visit to the current location.  
   
   
       38 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the processing unit is further operative to receive the set of “from” coordinates from a global satellite positioning system.  
   
   
       39 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the processing unit is further operative to access a positioning system to obtain the set of “from” coordinates.  
   
   
       40 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the processing unit is further operative to receive the set of “from” using a global satellite positioning system.  
   
   
       41 . A computer-readable medium which stores a set of instructions which when executed performs a method for updating a location database, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising: 
 receiving, from an input device, a set of “from” coordinates associated with a location;    receiving, from the input device, a set of current location coordinates associated with the location, the input device interacting with a positioning system to obtain the set of current location coordinates;    determining, that the set of “from” coordinates do not match the set of current location coordinates; and    in response to determining that the set of “from” coordinates do not match the set of current location coordinates, updating the location database with the set of current location coordinates.    
   
   
       42 . The computer readable medium of  claim 41 , wherein receiving, from the input device, the set of “from” coordinates associated with the location, comprises receiving wherein the set of “from” coordinates associated with the location was previously obtained and saved by a server, wherein the server previously requested the set of “from” coordinates associated with the current location gathered during a previous visit to the current location.  
   
   
       43 . The computer readable medium of  claim 41 , wherein receiving the set of “from” coordinates further comprises receiving the set of “from” coordinates from a server database.  
   
   
       44 . The computer readable medium of  claim 41 , wherein receiving the set of “from” coordinates further comprises receiving the set of “from” coordinates from a positioning system.  
   
   
       45 . The computer readable medium of  claim 41 , wherein receiving, from the input device, the set of “from” coordinates further comprises receiving the set of “from” coordinates from a global satellite positioning system.  
   
   
       46 . The computer readable medium of  claim 41 , further comprising the input device interacting with a transponder associated with a vehicle  
   
   
       47 . The computer readable medium of  claim 41 , wherein receiving the set of “from” coordinates further comprises receiving the set of “from” coordinates from the input device.