MOBILE DEVICE FOR CREATING, MANAGING AND SHARING LOCATION INFORMATION

• US 20140213304A1
• Filed: 01/29/2013
• Published: 07/31/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Beckett, Jason Christopher, Canton, Raymond Lee, Sartipi, Siamak
• Granted Patent: US 9,258,676 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.6
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

A method performed by a mobile device entails determining a current location of the mobile device, storing the current location as a breadcrumb (recorded) location of the mobile device, and performing an action with respect to the breadcrumb location when the mobile device has moved away from the breadcrumb location. The action may entail sharing the breadcrumb location with another device. Reverse geocoded address information may be provided for the breadcrumb locations.

Claims

1. A method performed by a mobile device, the method comprising:

determining a current location of the mobile device;

storing the current location as a recorded location of the mobile device; and

performing an action with respect to the recorded location when the mobile device has moved away from the recorded location.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising displaying a map presenting both a current location indicator representing the current location of the mobile device and one or more recorded location indicators representing respective recorded locations.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising displaying a map presenting a current location indicator representing the current location of the mobile device wherein the current location indicator is a user-selectable indicator that is responsive to user input to cause the mobile device to display one or more recorded locations.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2 wherein each recorded location indicator is a user-selectable interface element that is responsive to user input to cause the mobile device to display a selection of actions performable with respect to the recorded location.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the selection of actions comprises sharing a selected recorded location.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the selection of actions comprises deleting a selected recorded location.

7. The method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the selection of actions comprises naming a selected recorded location.

8. The method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the selection of actions comprises defining a location-based alert for a selected recorded location, the alert comprising a notification that the mobile device has returned to the selected recorded location.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the notification is communicated wirelessly to another device.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein defining the location-based alert comprises drawing a geofence around the recorded location indicator.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein storing the location is in response to receiving user input via a user interface of the mobile device.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein storing the location is in response to receiving user input via the current location indicator displayed on map.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein storing the location is in response to receiving a voice command recognizable by a speech-recognition subsystem of the mobile device.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein storing the location is performed automatically by the mobile device in response to the mobile device determining that the mobile device has remained within a predetermined radius of the current location for more than a predetermined amount of time.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein storing the location is in response to detecting that the current location of the mobile device corresponds, within a predetermined distance tolerance, to a frequently visited location.

16. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting a request to a reverse geocoding server to obtain address information for the recorded location;

receiving the address information; and

storing the address information in association with the recorded location.

17. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

displaying a map on the mobile device presenting an avatar representing a current location of the mobile device; and

displaying one or more icons representing respective current locations of other nearby devices that are sharing location information with the mobile device.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17 further comprising:

in response to user input on one of the icons associated with one of the other devices, storing one or more recorded locations of the other device.

19. The method as claimed in claim 17 further comprising:

in response to user input on the avatar, displaying one or more recorded location indicators representing recorded locations of the mobile device.

20. The method as claimed in claim 17 further comprising:

in response to user input on one of the icons, displaying one or more recorded location indicators representing recorded locations of the other device.

21. The method as claimed in claim 19 further comprising:

in response to user input on one of the recorded location indicators, displaying a menu of user-selectable actions with respect to the recorded location;

receiving user input selecting one of the actions; and

performing the action.

22. The method as claimed in claim 20 further comprising:

in response to user input on one of the recorded location indicators, displaying a menu of user-selectable actions with respect to the recorded location;

receiving user input selecting one of the actions; and

performing the action.

23. The method as claimed in claim 21 wherein the menu of actions comprises one or more of (i) sharing the recorded location;

(ii) deleting the recorded location; and

(iii) naming the recorded location.

24. The method as claimed in claim 21 wherein the menu of actions comprises one or more of (i) sharing the recorded location;

(ii) deleting the recorded location; and

(iii) naming the recorded location.

25. The method as claimed in claim 24 further comprising:

receiving user input to specify identities of other devices with which the recorded location may be shared; and

communicating the identities of the other devices to the location-management server to enable the server to share the recorded location with the other devices.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25 further comprising:

receiving user input to specify privacy parameters relating to how recorded locations are to be transmitted to the server and shared with the other devices; and

communicating the privacy parameters to the location-management server to enable the server to share the recorded location with the other devices in accordance with the privacy parameters.

27. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions in code which when loaded into a memory and executed by a processor of a mobile device cause the mobile device to:

determine a current location of the mobile device;

store the current location as a recorded location of the mobile device; and

perform an action with respect to the recorded location when the mobile device has moved away from the recorded location.

28. A mobile device comprising:

a position-determining subsystem for determining a current location of the mobile device;

a memory for storing the current location as a recorded location of the mobile device; and

a processor coupled to the memory for performing an action with respect to the recorded location when the mobile device has moved away from the recorded location.