Information partner network

• US 20070179750A1
• Filed: 01/31/2006
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Digital Cyclone, Inc. (Garmin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Digital Cyclone, Inc. (Garmin Limited)
• Inventors: Burfeind, Craig
• Application Number:
  US11/343,659
• Publication Number:
  US 20070179750A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/188
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal

Abstract

An information distribution system includes at least a first partner device and a second partner device. The first partner device is configured to execute partner software including an obtain module and a transmit module. The obtain module configured to obtain information from surroundings of the first partner device and the transmit module configured to transmit the obtained information. The second partner device is configured to execute partner software including a receive module and a display module. The receive module is configured to receive the information transmitted by the first partner device and the display module is configured to display the information received from the first partner device.

Claims

1. An information distribution system comprising:

a first portable partner device, the first partner device configured to;

obtain weather information from surroundings of the first partner device; and

transmit the obtained information; and

a second portable partner device, the second partner device configured to;

receive the information transmitted by the first partner device; and

display the information received from the first partner device.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of partner devices, each partner device configured to execute partner software including an obtain module, a transmit module, a receive module, and a display module.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a hub coupled to the first and second partner devices, the hub configured to route information transmitted from the first partner device to the second partner device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the hub is further configured to store and index information obtained from the first partner device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first partner device includes a cell phone.

6. A method of sharing information comprising:

obtaining information associated with a geographic location, the information comprising a weather related picture captured by a portable electronic device;

transmitting the information from the portable electronic device; and

transmitting indicia of the geographic location associated with the obtained information from the portable electronic device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising transmitting the information and the indicia to multiple partner devices.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising storing the obtained information in a searchable format.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the stored information is searchable by location.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising indexing the information by category.

11. An information distribution system comprising a plurality of portable partner devices communicatively coupled to one another, each partner device being location aware, and each partner device being configured to obtain, display, transmit, and receive location-specific weather information.

12. The information distribution system of claim 11, further comprising a hub communicatively coupled to the plurality of partner devices.

13. The information distribution system of claim 12, wherein the hub is a central server.

14. The information distribution system of claim 12, wherein the hub is a distributed server system.

15. The information distribution system of claim 12, wherein the hub stores, indexes, and analyzes information obtained by one or more of the plurality of partner devices.

16. A method of sharing fishing information, the method comprising:

obtaining water temperature information for a plurality of locations within a lake;

obtaining information indicating a number of fish caught for at least some of the locations within the lake;

storing the water temperature information for the plurality of locations;

storing the information indicating the number of fish caught for the at least some of the locations; and

analyzing the water temperature information and the information indicating the number of fish caught including compiling the water temperature information and the information indicating the number of fish caught and creating a map of the lake, wherein the map indicates a water temperature for the plurality of locations and wherein the map indicates the number of fish caught for the at least some of the locations.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

indexing by location the water temperature information;

indexing by location the information indicating the number of fish caught; and

indexing the map by location.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a request from a partner device for water temperature information for at least some of the plurality of locations within the lake;

retrieving the water temperature information for the at least some of the plurality of locations within the lake; and

transmitting the water temperature information to the partner device.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a request from a partner device for any information associated with the lake;

retrieving information associated with the lake including retrieving the water temperature information for the plurality of locations within the lake and retrieving the information indicating the number of fish caught for the at least some of the locations within the lake; and

transmitting the retrieved information to the partner device.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

obtaining at least one picture of fish caught from locations within the lake;

storing the pictures of fish caught from the locations within the lake; and

analyzing the at least one picture of fish caught from the locations within the lake, including adding to the map links to the at least one picture, wherein a partner device can access the at least one picture by accessing the map and selecting the link.

21. A method of sharing information, the method comprising:

obtaining information related to the surroundings of a portable electronic device;

associating the information with a location at which the information was obtained, thereby creating a first portion of location-specific information;

wirelessly transmitting the first portion of location-specific information from the portable electronic device to a network;

wirelessly receiving a second portion of location-specific information on the portable electronic device from the network; and

displaying the second portion of location-specific information on the portable electronic device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein at least one portion of the location-specific information is weather related.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein at least one portion of the location-specific information is a temperature.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein at least one portion of the location-specific information is a water temperature.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein at least one portion of the location-specific information is obtained automatically.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein at least one portion of the location-specific information is an image of weather phenomenon.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein at least one portion of the location-specific information is a video of weather phenomenon.

28. A method of sharing information, the method comprising:

automatically obtaining weather information from the surroundings of a portable electronic device;

associating the information with a location at which the information was obtained, thereby creating a first portion of location-specific information;

wirelessly transmitting the first portion of location-specific information from the portable electronic device to a network;

wirelessly receiving a second portion of location-specific information on the portable electronic device from the network; and

displaying the second portion of location-specific information on the portable electronic device.