System and method for providing a location snapshot service and associating a snapshot with location container data

• US 20060235605A1
• Filed: 04/18/2005
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Flynt, David Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 7,490,003 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target

Abstract

A system and method for providing a location snapshot service and associating a snapshot with location container data. The system includes a snapshot service for detecting the position of the computing device. The position of the computing device is associated with a street address. The street address is an identifier for a location container. The location container may be associated with internal data that is associated with the street address. The location container may also be associated with external network data that is associated with the street address. In this manner, a computing device may optimize the use of position data to increase computing functionality and applications on a computing device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing a location container configured to associate position data with applications of a computing device, comprising:

receiving position data associated with a geographic location; and

associating the position data with the location container, wherein the location container is identified by the position data, and wherein the location container is configured to associate position data with at least one application.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising providing the location snapshot service in response to an actuation by a user, wherein the location snapshot service stores a position at a moment in time.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein actuating a location snapshot service includes at least one of:

a hard button, a software actuator, a hardware actuator, a menu, a user interface icon, voice recognition, and an accelerometer.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein geographic position data includes at least one of:

global positioning service data, wireless fidelity service data, Bluetooth service data, radio service data, triangulation service data, radio frequency identification data, and service set identification data.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the at least one application includes at least one of:

a scheduler application, a messaging application, a picture application, a contacts application, a word processing application, a spreadsheet application, a money application, an accounting application, a tip application, and a banking application.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising associating the position data with an address, identifying the location container by the address, and associating data from the application with the location container, wherein the address is a variable of the at least one application.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the location container is associated with internal data.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the location container is associated with external data.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising providing a network service, wherein the location container receives the external data from the network service.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising providing a network service, wherein the location container transmits the external data to the network service.

11. A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for providing a container associated with an address, the instructions comprising:

receiving an address for a location from a positioning service; and

associating the address for the location with a container for making the address accessible to one or more applications.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the positioning service includes at least one of:

a global positioning service, a wireless fidelity service, a Bluetooth service, a radio service, a triangulation service, a radio frequency identification service, and service set identification service.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the address includes a street address, and wherein associating the address for the location with the container includes associating the street address with the container.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the at least one application includes at least one of:

a scheduler application, a messaging application, a picture application, a contacts application, a word processing application, a spreadsheet application, a money application, an accounting application, a tip application, and a banking application.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the container includes an internal module.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising providing a network service, wherein an external module exchanges data with the network service.

17. A computing apparatus for generating a location container for a geographic position, comprising:

a positioning means for detecting the geographical position;

a snapshot means for capturing a position at a moment in time; and

a container means for associating the position with a at least one application.

18. The computing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the container means includes an internal module for storing data associated with the position and associating the position with the at least one application.

19. The computing apparatus of claim 17, further comprising an external module for associating position data with a network, receiving network data associated with the position, and associating the network data with at least one application.

20. The computing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one application includes at least one of:

a scheduler application, a picture application, a contacts application, a word processing application, a spreadsheet application, a money application, an accounting application, a tip application, and a banking application.