System and Method for Sharing Geospatial Assets Between Local Devices

• US 20130325920A1
• Filed: 05/30/2012
• Published: 12/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Peterson, Bret E., Lorimer, Eli Dylan, Potell, Stephen Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 9,432,453 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1068 Discovery involving direct consultation or announcement among potential requesting and potential source peers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1093 Some peer nodes performing special functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A system and method for sharing geospatial assets between local devices is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method may generally include storing a geospatial asset on a first local device. The first local device may include a processor and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, configures the first local device to act as a local server. The method may also include transmitting with the local server data indicating the availability of the geospatial asset to be shared, receiving from a second local device a request to share the geospatial asset and sharing the geospatial asset with the second local device.

Claims

1. A method for sharing geospatial assets between local devices, the method comprising:

storing a geospatial asset on a first local device, the first local device including a processor and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, configure the first local device to act as a local server;

transmitting with the local server data indicating the availability of the geospatial asset to be shared;

receiving from a second local device a request to share the geospatial asset; and

sharing the geospatial asset with the second local device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the geospatial asset includes at least one of a 3-D globe, a 2-D map or geospatial search data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting data indicating the availability of the geospatial asset comprises transmitting a description of the geospatial asset available to be shared.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting data indicating the availability of the geospatial asset comprises transmitting data associated with a location at which the geospatial asset is being served by the local server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a request to share the geospatial asset comprises a receiving a request to transfer the geospatial asset from the first local device to the second local device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a request to share the geospatial asset comprises receiving a request to serve the geospatial asset on a client of the second local device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein sharing the geospatial asset comprises transferring the geospatial asset from the first local device to the second local device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein sharing the geospatial asset comprises serving with the local server the geospatial asset on a client of the second local device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an asset query from the second local device regarding what geospatial assets are available to be shared by the local server.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising registering the local server as a provider of the geospatial asset over a network.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising registering the local server as a provider of the geospatial asset with another local device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein sharing the geospatial asset with the second local device comprises sharing geospatial data used to construct the geospatial asset with the second local device.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising designating the local server as a master server of the geospatial asset, the master server being configured to share the geospatial asset with a plurality of local devices.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein sharing the geospatial asset with the second local device comprises sharing the geospatial asset with the second local device through another local device acting as a proxy server.

15. A system for sharing geospatial assets between local devices, the system comprising:

a computing device including a processor and memory storing instructions that, when implemented by the processor, configure the computing device to act as a local server, the local server being configured to;

transmit data indicating the availability of a geospatial asset to be shared;

receive a request from a second computing device to share the geospatial asset; and

share the geospatial asset with the second computing device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the geospatial asset includes at least one of a 3-D globe, a 2-D map or geospatial search data.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the data comprises at least one of a description of the geospatial asset or a location at which the geospatial asset is being served by the local server.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the local server is configured share the geospatial asset by transferring the geospatial asset from the computing device to the second computing device.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the local server is configured to share the geospatial asset by serving the geospatial asset on a client of the second computing device.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the client comprises a GIS client.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the first and second computing devices comprise portable computing devices.

22. A method for sharing geospatial assets between local devices, the method comprising:

receiving with a first local device data indicating the availability of a geospatial asset to be shared, the geospatial asset being stored on a second local device;

transmitting a request to the second local device to share the geospatial asset; and

receiving access to the geospatial asset from the second local device.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the geospatial asset includes at least one of a 3-D globe, a 2-D map or geospatial search data.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising transmitting an asset query from the first local device regarding what geospatial assets are available to be shared by the second local device.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein receiving access to the geospatial asset comprises downloading the geospatial asset from the second local device onto memory of the first local device.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein receiving access to the geospatial asset comprises receiving access to a location at which the geospatial asset is being served by the second local device.