PDA with integrated address book and electronic map waypoints

• US 20050114021A1
• Filed: 12/03/2004
• Published: 05/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garmin Limited
• Original Assignee: Garmin Limited
• Inventors: Jones, Benjamin, Burch, Matthew C., Childs, Michael, Krull, Jay Dee, McAlister, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,043,362 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application

Abstract

Systems, devices and methods are provided for integrating GPS receiver technology into a PDA. The systems, devices and methods of the present invention integrate GPS capabilities with PDA functions, and in particular integrate a PDA address book function with an electronic map and GPS capabilities. One aspect provided herein is a method. In one embodiment, a location or feature is identified, and a Personal Digital Assistant. (PDA) address book entry is associated with the location or feature. In one embodiment, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) address book entry is selected, and a location or feature is associated with the PDA address book entry. Other aspects are provided herein.

Claims

1. A Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) device, comprising:

means for storing and displaying a PDA address book entry, the PDA address book entry including an address;

means for associating a location identifier with the PDA address book entry;

means for accessing electronic map data; and

means for linking a location in the electronic map data with the location identifier associated with the PDA address book entry.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the means for associating a location identifier with the PDA address book entry includes means for storing data representing coordinates with the PDA address book entry.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the means for storing data representing coordinates with the PDA address book entry includes means for storing data representing a latitude an a longitude with the PDA address book entry.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the means for storing and displaying the PDA address book entry and the means for associating the location identifier with the PDA address book entry includes means for allowing a user of the PDA to set a waypoint associated with a displayed PDA address book entry for the electronic map data.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the displayed PDA address book entry includes an address view screen display on the PDA, and the means for allowing the user of the PDA to set the waypoint includes a button on the address view screen display.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein the displayed PDA address book entry includes an address edit screen display on the PDA, and the means for allowing the user of the PDA to set the waypoint includes a button on the address view screen display.

7. The device of claim 4, wherein the means for allowing the user of the PDA to set the waypoint associated with the displayed PDA address book entry for the electronic map data includes means for allowing the user of the PDA to select a symbol for the waypoint to be displayed on an electronic map.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the means for storing and displaying the PDA address book entry includes means for allowing a user of the PDA to display a map for a displayed PDA address book entry using the electronic map data.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the displayed PDA address book entry includes an address list screen display on the PDA, and the means for allowing the user of the PDA to display a map for the displayed PDA address book entry includes a button on the address list screen display.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the displayed PDA address book entry includes an address edit screen display on the PDA, and the means for allowing the user of the PDA to display the map for the displayed PDA address book entry includes a button on the address edit screen display.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the means for storing and displaying the PDA address book entry includes means for allowing a user of the PDA to obtain a route from a present location of the PDA to the address of the PDA address book entry using the electronic map data.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the means for allowing the user of the PDA to obtain the route from the present location of the PDA to the address of the PDA address book entry includes means for displaying the route on an electronic map.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the displayed PDA address book entry includes an address list screen display on the PDA, and the means for displaying the route on the electronic map includes a button on the address list screen display.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the displayed PDA address book entry includes an address edit screen display on the PDA, and the means for displaying the route on an electronic map includes a button on the address edit screen display.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the means for accessing electronic map data includes a port on the PDA and an electronic map data cartridge to connect to the port.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the means for accessing electronic map data includes receiving a wireless signal that transmits the electronic map data from a server to the PDA.

17. A personal digital assistant (PDA) device, comprising:

a processor, and a memory to communicate with the processor;

a Global Positioning System (GPS) antenna and a GPS receiver connected to the GPS antenna and the processor, the GPS receiver being adapted to determine a position of the PDA device;

a touch-sensitive display screen connected to the processor;

the memory including electronic map data, address book data, and computer readable instructions embedded in the memory to be operated on by the processor to;

provide an electronic map application, the electronic map application being adapted to display an electronic map on the display screen, and provide the GPS-determined position of the PDA device on the electronic map;

provide a PDA address book application, the PDA address book application being adapted to display an address book entry on the display screen and associate a location with the address book entry;

link the electronic map application to the PDA address book application using the location associated with the address book entry.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the location associated with the address book entry includes data representing coordinates associated with an address stored in the address book entry, the data being stored in a field of the address book entry.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the field of the address book entry is further adapted to store a symbol to be associated with the address in the address book entry for display on the electronic map.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein the coordinates include a longitude and a latitude associated with the address stored in the address book entry.

21. The device of claim 17, wherein the electronic map application includes a routing application, and the address book entry on the display screen of the PDA includes a button to display a route on the electronic map from the GPS-determined position of the PDA device to an address in the address book entry.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the electronic map application further includes a guidance application to provide guidance when traveling a route generated by the routing application.

23. The device of claim 17, wherein the address book entry on the display screen of the PDA includes a button to display the electronic map on the display screen, the electronic map including a representation for an address in the address book entry.

24. The device of claim 17, wherein the address book entry on the display screen of the PDA includes a button to create a waypoint for display on the electronic map.

25. The device of claim 17, wherein the PDA address book application is adapted to pre-fill fields in an address book entry based on electronic map data.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein the PDA address book application is adapted to allow a user to edit pre-filled fields in the address book entry.

27. The device of claim 17, wherein the memory including electronic map data comprises a removable map data cartridge.

28. The device of claim 17, wherein the PDA is adapted to receive a wireless transmission signal to receive the electronic map data.

29. A method, comprising:

creating a PDA address book entry, the PDA address book entry including an address;

associating a location identifier with the PDA address book entry;

accessing electronic map data; and

linking a location in the electronic map data with the location identifier associated with the PDA address book entry.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein associating the location identifier with the PDA address book entry includes storing data representing coordinates in a field of the PDA address book entry.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising, from an address book screen, selecting a command to set a waypoint associated with a displayed PDA address book entry for the electronic map data.

32. The method of claim 29, further comprising, from an address book screen, selecting a command to display a map for a displayed PDA address book entry using the electronic map data.

33. The method of claim 29, further comprising, from an address book screen, selecting a command to obtain a route from a present location of the PDA to the address of the PDA address book entry using the electronic map data.

34. The method of claim 29, further comprising automatically filling fields in the PDA address book entry using the electronic map data.