Vindigo Wins U.S. Patent for Compact Direction-Finding Technology; Patented Algorithm Computes Directions Almost Instantaneously on Mobile Devices.Business Editors/High-Tech Writers NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 14, 2003 Vindigo, the leading provider of personal navigation services for wireless and mobile devices, today announces new patent protection for groundbreaking technology that requires less computer memory to calculate walking or driving distances on mobile and wireless devices. U.S. Patent No. 6,480,785, titled, "System For Determining a Route and Presenting Navigational Instructions Therefor there·for adv. For that: ordering goods and enclosing payment therefor. Adv. 1. therefor ," describes a new process designed to quickly and efficiently compute To perform mathematical operations or general computer processing. For an explanation of "The 3 C's," or how the computer processes data, see computer. directions to places including the nearest ATM or gas station, specific theaters and restaurants, and other places to eat, shop and play. Related technologies require large, heavy hardware, while Vindigo's innovation has proven effective for compact datasets on devices with limited computational power. Vindigo's patent describes, but is not limited to, an algorithm that organizes streets of a road network into nodes of an undirected graph, using efficient traversal Crossing over. Passing through. See NAT traversal. (data) traversal - Processing nodes in a graph one at a time, usually in some specified order. Traversal of a tree is recursively defined to mean visiting the root node and traversing its children. algorithms to optimize routes. A key component of Vindigo's Palm OS- and Pocket PC- based software offerings for over two years, the Years, The the seven decades of Eleanor Pargiter’s life. [Br. Lit.: Benét, 1109] See : Time system computes both walking and driving directions almost instantaneously in·stan·ta·ne·ous adj. 1. Occurring or completed without perceptible delay: Relief was instantaneous. 2. . While other algorithms for computing computing - computer driving and walking directions exist, many require the major computational power of large servers to process arbitrary direction requests in a timely manner. Breaking through this technological barrier was a necessary precursor precursor /pre·cur·sor/ (pre´kur-ser) something that precedes. In biological processes, a substance from which another, usually more active or mature, substance is formed. In clinical medicine, a sign or symptom that heralds another. in the development of Vindigo's successful mobile navigation application, Vindigo 2.0, which operates on limited-memory devices, including handheld devices and Internet-enabled mobile phones. "Vindigo 2.0 is designed to provide a wealth of location-specific information on inherently low-memory devices. The challenge was to invent a way for people to find directions without using every last byte of memory," said Jason Devitt, chief executive officer of Vindigo. "This newly patented technology embeds a complex navigational system Noun 1. navigational system - a system that provides information useful in determining the position and course of a ship or aircraft Global Positioning System, GPS - a navigational system involving satellites and computers that can determine the latitude and into handheld devices without crippling crip·ple n. 1. A person or animal that is partially disabled or unable to use a limb or limbs: cannot race a horse that is a cripple. 2. A damaged or defective object or device. tr.v. the device memory or functionality." Vindigo 2.0 lets users access extensive information about the best and closest places to eat, shop and play in more than 50 U.S. markets and London. By simply entering their current location, users can find entertainment options and local information, including museum exhibits, bars, stores, movie reviews and show times, and even the closest public restroom. Vindigo 2.0 also includes detailed information about services such as the location of the closest ATMs, gas stations, parking garages and police stations. The service comes complete with ratings and reviews from brand-name content providers, maps and directions to any listing. Vindigo 2.0 for Palm Powered(TM) and Pocket PC handheld devices is available for download from www.vindigo.com for $3.50 per month or $24.95 for an annual subscription. New users can download a 30-day trial at no charge. About Vindigo Vindigo is the leading provider of personal navigation services for wireless and mobile devices. Vindigo's proprietary technology and network of content partners enables it to offer compelling and comprehensive applications to carriers and consumers via Palm Powered(TM) and Pocket PC handheld devices, and Internet-enabled mobile phones including BREW (Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless) An application development environment from Qualcomm for enhanced cellphone services (e-mail, games, etc.). BREW is directly supported in the CDMA chipsets from Qualcomm, and BREW-enabled applications work no matter handsets. Vindigo enables people to explore, enjoy, and connect to the world around them. |
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