Methods And Apparatus For Associating Mapping Functionality And Information In Contact Lists Of Mobile Communication Devices

• US 20120149401A1
• Filed: 01/12/2012
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Dicke, Ronald Anthony, Wilson, Nicholas Bryson, Boudreau, Jesse Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 9,083,789 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/457
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4594 Address books, i.e. directories containing contact information about correspondents telephone directories in user terminals H04M1/27453
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/233 including a pointing device, e.g. roller key, track ball, rocker switch or joystick constructional details of pointing devices per se G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2745 using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27457 Management thereof, e.g. manual editing of data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A mobile communication device stores a contact list which includes a plurality of contacts, and identifies a user selection to map a location of a selected contact. In response, the device reads an address from an address field of the selected contact, sends to an address geocoding server the address with a request for latitude and longitude coordinates, and receives from the address geocoding server the coordinates. When map rendering data corresponding to the coordinates is cached in memory, the device renders a map based on the map rendering data. Otherwise, the device sends to a map server the coordinates with a request for context-filtered map data, which is based at least in part on a user context independent of the location of the device. The device receives the context-filtered map data, and renders a map based on the received context-filtered map data.

Claims

1. A method of displaying a map in a mobile communication device having a memory and a user interface comprising a display, the method comprising:

storing a contact list which includes a plurality of contacts;

identifying via the user interface a selection to map a location of a selected contact;

reading an address from an address field of the selected contact;

sending to an address geocoding server the address with a request for latitude and longitude coordinates;

receiving from the address geocoding server the latitude and longitude coordinates;

when map rendering data corresponding to the received latitude and longitude coordinates is cached in the memory, rendering in the display a map based on the map rendering data; and

otherwise, sending to a map server the received latitude and longitude coordinates with a request for context-filtered map data which is based at least in part on a user context independent of the location of the mobile communication device, receiving from the map server the context-filtered map data, and rendering in the display a map based on the received context-filtered map data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user context comprises a traveling speed of the mobile communication device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user context comprises information regarding a user of the mobile communication device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each said contact includes a data structure having an address field, the method further comprising:

refraining from storing the received latitude and longitude coordinates in the data structure of the selected contact.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to identifying the selection to map the location of the selected contact:

displaying a map of the location in the display;

receiving via the user interface a request to associate the location with the selected contact; and

storing the address corresponding to the location in the address field of the selected contact.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after rendering the map, discarding the received latitude and longitude coordinates.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact list is part of one of the following:

an address book or list;

a telephone book or list;

an e-mail address book or list; and

a Subscriber Identity Module SIM or USIM book.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication device comprises a cellular telephone and the wireless network comprises a cellular telecommunications network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the acts of reading, sending, and receiving are performed in response to identifying the selection to map the location of the selected contact.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication device communicates with the address geocoding server and the map server via a wireless communication network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is embodied in a computer program product comprising a computer readable medium and computer instructions stored in the computer readable medium which are executable by one or more processors of the device for performing the method.

19. The mobile communication device of claim 10, wherein the mobile communication device comprises a cellular telephone and the wireless network comprises a cellular telecommunications network.

12. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) transceiver operative for communications with a wireless network;

a user interface comprising a display;

a memory for storing a contact list including a plurality of contacts;

one or more processors coupled to the RF transceiver, the user interface, and the memory;

the one or more processors being configured to;

identify via the user interface a selection to map a location of a selected contact;

read from the memory an address from an address field of the selected contact;

send, to an address geocoding server via RF transceiver, the address with a request for latitude and longitude coordinates;

receive, from the address geocoding server via RF transceiver, the latitude and longitude coordinates;

when map rendering data corresponding to the received latitude and longitude coordinates is cached in the memory, render in the display a map based on the map rendering data; and

otherwise, send to a map server the received latitude and longitude coordinates with a request for context-filtered map data which is based on a user context independent of the location of the mobile communication device, receive from the map server the context-filtered map data, and render in the display a map based on the received context-filtered map data.

13. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the user context comprises a traveling speed of the mobile communication device.

14. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the user context comprises information regarding a user of the mobile communication device.

15. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein each said contact includes a data structure having an address field, and the one or more processors are further configured to:

refrain from storing the received latitude and longitude coordinates in the data structure of the selected contact.

16. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein prior to identifying the selection to map the location of the selected contact, the one or more processors are further configured to:

display a map of the location in the display;

receive via the user interface a request to associate the location with the selected contact; and

store the address corresponding to the location in the address field of the selected contact.

17. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

after rendering the map in the display, discard the received latitude and longitude coordinates.

18. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the contact list is part of one of the following:

an address book or list;

a telephone book or list;

an e-mail address book or list; and

a Subscriber Identity Module SIM or USIM book.

20. A communication system, comprising:

a wireless communication network;

an address geocoding server;

a map server;

a mobile communication device operative for communications in the wireless communication network;

the mobile communication device being configured to;

identify a selection to map a location of a selected contact;

read from memory an address from an address field of the selected contact;

send to the address geocoding server the address with a request for latitude and longitude coordinates;

receive from the address geocoding server the latitude and longitude coordinates;

when map rendering data corresponding to the received latitude and longitude coordinates is cached in the memory, render in a display a map based on the map rendering data; and

otherwise, send to the map server the received latitude and longitude coordinates with a request for context-filtered map data which is based on a user context independent of the location of the mobile communication device, receive from the map server the context-filtered map data, and render in the display a map based on the received context-filtered map data.