PREDICTIVE DOWNLOADING OF MAP DATA

• US 20090281718A1
• Filed: 01/15/2009
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Crowley, Michael J., Watt, Robert, Gibran, Christophe
• Granted Patent: US 11,187,541 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3881 Tile-based structures
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3889 Transmission of selected map data, e.g. depending on route
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3896 Transmission of map data from central databases

Abstract

A method of requesting map data by a wireless communications device entails steps of predicting a future area of interest for which map data may be required, downloading the map data for the future area of interest, and then caching the map data for the future area of interest. Cached map data is thus available for rendering when the device moves into the future area of interest, thus expediting the generation of onscreen maps. Predicting the future area of interest can be accomplished, for example, by determining the direction of travel, by identifying a roadway upon which the device user is travelling, or by identifying a programmed route in a navigation application.

Claims

1. A method of requesting map data by a wireless communications device, the method comprising steps of:

predicting a future area of interest for which map data may be required; and

downloading the map data for the future area of interest.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising caching the map data for the future area of interest.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of predicting the future area of interest comprises a step of determining a current direction of travel of the wireless communications device.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of predicting the future area of interest comprises a step of identifying a programmed route in a navigation application executing on the wireless communications device.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of predicting the future area of interest comprises a step of identifying a current roadway upon which a user of the wireless communications device is travelling.

6. The method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the step of determining the current direction of travel comprises determining which one of a plurality of angular sectors corresponds to an average bearing of the device, where the average bearing is a running average computed over a predetermined time interval.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the current direction of travel is determined with reference to a plurality of sectors comprising four 30-degree cardinal sectors that are aligned with north, south, east and west directions and four 60-degree lateral sectors that are disposed between the cardinal sectors, each of the cardinal and lateral sectors being associated with one of eight respective adjacent off-screen map areas.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of downloading the map data for the future area of interest comprises a step of downloading map data for an adjacent off-screen map area that is located immediately adjacent an onscreen map area.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the step of downloading map data for the adjacent off-screen map area comprises defining an enlarged off-screen map area that is larger than the onscreen map area.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 wherein a width of the enlarged off-screen map area is equal to twice a width of the onscreen map area.

11. A computer readable medium comprising code which, when loaded into memory and executed on a processor of a wireless communications device, is adapted to perform acts of:

predicting a future area of interest for which map data may be required; and

downloading the map data for the future area of interest.

12. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 11 wherein the code is adapted to perform an act of caching the map data for the future area of interest.

13. A wireless communications device comprising:

a radiofrequency transceiver for requesting and receiving map data corresponding to an area of interest;

a display for displaying an onscreen map of the area of interest based on the map data that has been received using the radiofrequency transmitter; and

a processor operatively coupled to memory for predicting a future area of interest for which further map data may be required and for causing the radiofrequency transmitter to download the further map data for the future area of interest.

14. The wireless communications device as claimed in claim 13 wherein the processor causes the further map data to be cached in the memory of the wireless communications device.

15. The wireless communications device as claimed in claim 13 wherein the processor predicts the future area of interest by determining a current direction of travel of the wireless communications device.

16. The wireless communications device as claimed in claim 13 wherein the processor predicts the future area of interest by identifying a programmed route in a navigation application executing on the wireless communications device.

17. The wireless communications device as claimed in claim 13 wherein the processor predicts the future area of interest by identifying a current roadway upon which a user of the wireless communications device is travelling.

18. The wireless communications device as claimed in claim 14 wherein the processor determines the current direction of travel by determining which one of a plurality of angular sectors corresponds to an average bearing of the device, where the average bearing is a running average computed over a predetermined time interval.

19. The wireless communications device as claimed in claim 17 wherein the current direction of travel is determined with reference to a plurality of sectors comprising four 30-degree cardinal sectors that are aligned with north, south, east and west directions and four 60-degree lateral sectors that are disposed between the cardinal sectors, each of the cardinal and lateral sectors being associated with one of eight respective adjacent off-screen map areas.

20. The wireless communications device as claimed in claim 13 wherein the radiofrequency transmitter downloads the map data for an adjacent off-screen map area, representing the future area of interest, that is located immediately adjacent an onscreen map area.

21. The wireless communications device as claimed in claim 19 wherein the adjacent off-screen map area is an enlarged off-screen map area that is larger than the onscreen map area.

22. The wireless communications device as claimed in claim wherein a width of the enlarged off-screen map area is equal to twice a width of the onscreen map area.

23. The wireless communications device as claimed in claim wherein the memory and processor cooperate to monitor and record displacements of the device, to discern travel patterns from the displacements of the device and to predict future areas of interest for pre-emptively downloading map data.