Emphasizing Revisited Featured Locations

Abstract

A method and apparatus for presenting to a user audio and/or multimedia descriptions of previously-visited featured locations, so that the same descriptions are not presented in repeated visits to the same locations. Description may be selected to fit between consecutive turn-by-turn navigation instructions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computerized method for enhancing the travel experience of a user in vicinity of previously-visited featured locations, the method comprising:
 planning, by a processor, a route according to an origin point and a destination point;   accessing, by a processor, a featured location database, the database including a plurality of featured locations and at least one description for each featured location;   accessing, by a processor, a travel history log of the user;   seeking, by a processor, from the plurality of featured locations, a previously-visited featured location along the route and a selected description of the previously-visited featured location, according to selection criteria that include, at least:
 that, according to the travel history log of the user, the previously-visited featured location has been presented to the user in a previous visit, and 
 that, according to the travel history log of the user, the selected description has not yet been presented to the user; 
   providing the selected description for presentation to the user; and   recording the selected description in the travel history log of the user.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing, by a processor, turn-by-turn navigation instructions for traveling along the planned route;   wherein the selection criteria further include: that a time duration of the selected description is less than a predicted time interval between two consecutive turn-by-turn navigation instructions in the vicinity of the previously-visited featured location.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the selection criteria further include: that the selected description complies with a preference of the user. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said providing the selected description for presentation to the user is made when the user is in the vicinity of the previously-visited featured location. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the selected description is an ephemeral description. 
     
     
         6 . A server operative to enhance the travel experience of a user in vicinity of previously-visited featured locations, the server comprising:
 a featured location database that includes a plurality of featured locations and at least one description for each featured location;   a user database that includes a travel history log of the user; and   a processor programmed to:   plan a route according to an origin point and a destination point;   seek, in the featured location database, a previously-visited featured location along the route and a selected description of the previously-visited featured location, according to selection criteria that include, at least:
 that, according to the travel history log of the user, the previously-visited featured location has been presented to the user in a previous visit, and 
 that, according to the travel history log of the user, the selected description has not yet been presented to the user; 
   send the selected description to a navigation device of the user for presentation to the user; and   record the selected description in the travel history log of the user.   
     
     
         7 . The server of  claim 6 , wherein the processor is further programmed to send to the navigation device of the user turn-by-turn navigation instructions for traveling along the planned route, and wherein the selection criteria further include: that a time duration of the selected description is less than a predicted time interval between two consecutive turn-by-turn navigation instructions in the vicinity of the previously-visited featured location. 
     
     
         8 . The server of  claim 6 , wherein the selection criteria further include: that the selected description complies with a preference of the user. 
     
     
         9 . The server of  claim 6 , wherein the processor is further programmed to provide the selected description for presentation to the user, when the user is in the vicinity of the previously-visited featured location. 
     
     
         10 . The server of  claim 6 , wherein the selected description is an ephemeral description. 
     
     
         11 . A navigation apparatus operative to enhance the travel experience of a user in vicinity of previously-visited featured locations, the navigation apparatus comprising:
 a featured location database that includes a plurality of featured locations and at least one description for each featured location;   a travel history log of the user; and   a processor programmed to:   plan a route according to an origin point and a destination point;   seek, in the featured location database, a previously-visited featured location along the route and a selected description of the previously-visited featured location, according to selection criteria that include, at least:
 that, according to the travel history log of the user, the previously-visited featured location has been presented to the user in a previous visit, and 
 that, according to the travel history log of the user, the selected description has not yet been presented to the user; 
   present the selected description to the user; and   record the selected description in the travel history log of the user.   
     
     
         12 . The navigation apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the processor is further programmed to present to the user turn-by-turn navigation instructions for traveling along the planned route, and wherein the selection criteria further include: that a time duration of the selected description is less than a predicted time interval between two consecutive turn-by-turn navigation instructions in the vicinity of the previously-visited featured location. 
     
     
         13 . The navigation apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the selection criteria further include: that the selected description complies with a preference of the user. 
     
     
         14 . The navigation apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the processor is further programmed to present the selected description to the user, when the user is in the vicinity of the previously-visited featured location. 
     
     
         15 . The navigation apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the selected description is an ephemeral description.