Integration of Map Services and User Applications in a Mobile Device

• US 20090005981A1
• Filed: 01/25/2008
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Christie, Gregory N., Forstall, Scott, Tiene, Kevin, Borchers, Robert E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,109,904 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

A location is specified, e.g., a current location of a mobile device or a user-specified location. A representation of the location is represented on a map displayed by the mobile device. A set of contacts having a corresponding address in proximity to the location is determined. A graphical representation of the set of contacts is provided on the map proximate to the one or more corresponding addresses. If the location is a current location of a mobile device, the map can be updated in response to the current location changing with a representation of an updated current location and a representation of an updated set of contacts.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a representation of a location on a map;

determining a set of contacts having a corresponding address in proximity to the location, where a contact corresponds to contact information for an entity included in an address book and the contact information includes at least a name and an address associated with the entity; and

providing a graphical representation of the set of contacts on the map proximate to the one or more corresponding addresses.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a current location of a mobile device, where the current location of the mobile device is the location provided on the map.

3. The method of claim 2, where the map is updated in response to the current location changing with a representation of an updated current location and a representation of an updated set of contacts.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to a user-interaction with a graphical representation of a contact, providing information related to the contact while displaying the map.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to a user-interaction with a graphical representation of a contact, obtaining a page from an address book residing on the mobile device, the address book including the contact information corresponding to the contact and displaying the page from the address book.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the page from the address book is displayed in a first portion of a display of the mobile device and the map is displayed in a second portion of the display, and the first and second portions are displayed simultaneously on the display.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the page from the address book replaces the map on the display, the method further comprising:

in response to a second user-interaction with the page of the address book, replacing the page from the address book with the map.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device includes a telephony application and the contact information includes a telephone number for the entity, the method further comprising:

providing a prompt to a user inquiring whether the telephone number corresponding to one of the one or more contacts should be called; and

in response to receiving a user input to call the telephone number, employing the telephony application to call the telephone number.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device includes a telephony application and the contact information includes a telephone number for the entity, the method further comprising:

providing a user control wherein a user can select a control to call the telephone number corresponding to one of the set of contacts; and

receiving a user input selecting the control and in response to the user input employing the telephony application to call the telephone number.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device includes an email application and the contact information includes an email address for the entity, the method further comprising:

providing a prompt to a user inquiring whether the user desires to compose an email message to the email address corresponding to one of the set of contacts; and

in response to receiving a user input indicating a desire to compose an email message addressed to the email address, employing the email application to compose a draft email message.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device includes an email application and the contact information includes an email address for the entity, the method further comprising:

providing a user control wherein a user can select the control to compose an email message to the email address corresponding to one of the set contacts; and

receiving a user input selecting the control and in response to said user input employing the email application to allow the user to compose a draft email message.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device includes a short messaging service application, the method further comprising:

providing a prompt to a user inquiring whether the user desires to send a short message corresponding to one of the set of contacts; and

in response to receiving a user input indicating a desire to send a short message to the contact, employing the short messaging service application to allow the user to compose the short message.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device includes a short messaging service application, the method further comprising:

providing a user control wherein a user can select the control to send a short message corresponding to one of the set of contacts; and

receiving a user input selecting the control and in response to said user input employing the short messaging service application to allow the user to compose the short message.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a user-interaction with a graphical representation of one of the set of contacts, the contact corresponding to a second geographic location; and

providing route information indicating a route from the location to the second geographic location.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein providing route information comprises displaying the route on the map.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein providing route information comprises displaying directions for following the route from the location to the second geographic location.

17. A system comprising:

an data structure including contact information for a set of contacts, where the contact information includes at least a name and an address associated with an entity corresponding to the contact;

a map application operable to provide a display of a map, the map including a graphical representation of first location and including graphical representations of one or more contacts displayed at locations corresponding to the addresses of the one or more contacts, and wherein the contacts displayed are within a predetermined proximity to the first location; and

a display operable to display contact information and the map.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a positioning system operable to obtain a current location of a mobile device, where the first location is the current location.

19. The system of claim 18, where the map application is further operable to update the display of the map as the current location of the mobile device changes.

20. The system of claim 17, where the contact information includes a telephone number for the entity, the system further comprising:

a telephony application operable to call the telephone number corresponding to a contact included in an address book in response to a user selecting a graphical representation of the contact displayed on the map.

21. The system of claim 17, where the contact information includes an email address for the entity, the system further comprising:

an email application operable to initiate an email message addressed to the email address corresponding to a contact included in an address book in response to a user selecting a graphical representation of the contact displayed on the map.

22. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a short messaging service application operable to initiate a short message directed to a contact included in an address book in response to a user selecting a graphical representation of the contact displayed on the map.

23. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

an engine operable to provide a graphical display on the map of a route from the current location to a location corresponding to a contact that is graphically represented on the map, in response to a user selecting the graphical representation of the contact displayed on the map.