Location-Based Application Recommendations

• US 20140365944A1
• Filed: 10/18/2013
• Published: 12/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Moore, Bradford A., Kelly, Sean B., van Os, Marcel, Lemay, Stephen O., Lee, Woo-Ram
• Application Number:
  US14/058,012
• Publication Number:
  US 20140365944A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/772
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3438 Rendez-vous, i.e. searching a destination where several users can meet, and the routes to this destination for these users; Ride sharing, i.e. searching a route such that at least two users can share a vehicle for at least part of the route
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• 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: 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: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/003 Maps
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services

Abstract

A method to share map information between an electronic device and other nearby devices using peer-to-peer communication is provided. The method receives identification of different map items such as a route, points of interest, search results, a current map view and sends to a selected nearby device. The method provides different options to select the map items to share. The particular map information to share in some embodiments depends on what is currently displayed and/or selected on the map. When there are several items that can be shared and there is not a clear indication for what the user intends to share, an action list is shown to allow the user to select the information to share. Once a map item to share is selected, the method displays a share list to display a list of nearby devices. The method sends the shared information to selected devices.

Claims

1. A method for sharing map information between devices, the method comprising:

at a first device, receiving a request to share map information with another device;

identifying a particular map item to share;

receiving a selection of a second device from a set of devices in peer-to-peer communication with the first device; and

sending the particular map item from the first device to the second device using peer-to-peer communication.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, after identifying the particular map item, displaying a list of the devices in peer-to-peer communication with the first device, wherein the selection of the second device is received from the displayed list of the devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the particular map item to share comprises:

determining that a plurality of displayed map items are candidates for sharing;

displaying a list of the candidate map items; and

receiving a selection of the particular map item from the displayed list.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining that a plurality of displayed map items are candidates for sharing comprises determining that a route is displayed on the map and at least one of a current location of the device is available, a point of interest is selected on the map, and a location is selected on the map.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein determining that a plurality of displayed map items are candidates for sharing comprises determining that a current location of the device is available and at least one of a point of interest is selected on the map, and a location is selected on the map.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the particular map item to share comprises:

determining that only one displayed map item is a candidate for sharing; and

automatically identifying said one displayed map item as the particular map item to share.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

determining that only one displayed map item is a candidate for sharing comprises determining that (i) a route is displayed on the map, (ii) no point of interest is selected on map, (iii) no location is selected on the map, and (iv) a current location of the device is not available; and

identifying the map item to share comprises identifying the displayed route as the item to share.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein:

determining that only one displayed map item is a candidate for sharing comprises determining that (i) a point of interest is selected on the map, (ii) no route is displayed on the map, (iii) no location is selected on the map, and (iv) a current location of the device is not available; and

identifying the map item to share comprises identifying the selected point of interest as the item to share.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein:

determining that only one displayed map item is a candidate for sharing comprises determining that (i) a location is selected on the map, (ii) no route is displayed on the map, (iii) no point of interest is selected on the map, and (iv) a current location of the device is not available; and

identifying the map item to share comprises identifying the selected location as the item to share.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein:

determining that only one displayed map item is a candidate for sharing comprises determining that (i) a current location of the device is available, (ii) no location is selected on the map, (iii) no route is displayed on the map, and (iv) no point of interest is selected on the map; and

identifying the map item to share comprises identifying the current location of the device as the item to share.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein:

determining that only one displayed map item is a candidate for sharing comprises determining that (i) a current location of the device is not available, (ii) no location is selected on the map, (iii) no route is displayed on the map, and (iv) no point of interest is selected on the map; and

identifying the map item to share comprises identifying a current map region displayed on the first device as the item to share.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending a notification with the selected map item from the first device to the second device;

displaying the notification at the second device while the second device is in a locked mode, wherein when a device is in the locked mode, access is prevented to a plurality of applications installed on the device until an input to unlock the display screen is received;

receiving an acceptance of the notification at the second device; and

displaying the map item to share on the second device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving the acceptance of the notification unlocks the second device.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the map item to share is displayed while the second device is still in the locked mode.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending a notification with the selected map item from the first device to the second device;

displaying the notification at the second device while a mapping and navigation application is active on a foreground of the second device;

receiving an acceptance of the notification at the second device; and

displaying the map item to share on the second device by the mapping and navigation application.

16. The method of claim of claim 1 further comprising:

sending a notification with the selected map item from the first device to the second device;

displaying the notification at the second device while an application other than a mapping and navigation application is active on a foreground of the second device;

receiving an acceptance of the notification at the second device;

replacing the application active on the foreground with the mapping and navigation application; and

displaying the map item to share on the second device by the mapping and navigation application.

17. A method for recommending applications based on a location of a mobile device, the method comprising:

sending a current location of the mobile device to a set of remote servers;

from the set of remote servers, receiving a list of applications related to locations within a threshold distance from the current location of the mobile device; and

in a graphical user interface of an application that executes on the mobile device and that is for acquiring other applications for the mobile device, providing a selectable item for displaying the received list of applications.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

displaying a count of the applications in the list when the list of applications is not displayed on the mobile device; and

dynamically updating the displayed count of the applications in the list when the current location of the mobile device changes.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

receiving a set of priorities for the applications from the set of remote servers; and

displaying the list of applications based on the received set of priorities in response to a selection of the selectable item.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

determining the mobile device is at a particular location; and

visually identifying a displayed application that is registered by the particular application as an official application for the particular location.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising dynamically updating the list of applications when the current location of the mobile device changes.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the set of priorities are based on whether one or more applications in the list are registered by an entity associated to a location within the predetermined distance from the current location of the mobile device.

23. The method of claim 17 further comprising determining a moving speed of the mobile device, wherein the applications included the list are further related to the moving speed of the mobile device.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the applications included in the list are further based on whether the current location of the mobile device is away from a home region of the mobile device.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the home region of the mobile device is determined based on a billing address for the mobile device.

26. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

receiving a selection of an application from the list of applications; and

receiving the selected application at the mobile device from the set of remote servers.

27. The method of claim 17, wherein the list of applications is received from the set of remote servers only when the current location of the mobile device is identified within a predetermined accuracy.

28. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

displaying a request for authorization to send the current location of the mobile device to the set of remote servers when location tracking on the mobile device is disabled; and

receiving an authorization for sending the current location of the mobile device to the set of remote servers,

wherein the current location of the mobile device is sent to the set of remote servers only after the authorization for sending the current location is received at the mobile device and location tracking is enabled.

29. A method of receiving location-based application recommendations on a device, the method comprising:

identifying a location of interest on a map displayed on the device;

from a set of remote servers, receiving a list of applications related to the location of interest; and

within an information page displayed for the location of interest, displaying the list of applications related to the location of interest.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the applications in the list are related to the location of interest when the applications are related to locations within a predetermined distance of the location of interest.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein a particular application in the list is registered with the set of remote servers as an official application for the location of interest, the method further comprising visually identifying the registered application as the application registered for the particular location.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the list of applications is displayed based on a set of priorities comprising a priority determined based whether one or more applications in the list of applications are registered to the location of interest.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein the list of applications is a first list of applications, the method further comprising receiving a second list of applications when a different location of interest is identified on the map, wherein the first and second lists comprise different sets of applications.

34. The method of claim 29 further comprising:

receiving a selection of an application from the list of applications; and

receiving the selected application at the device from the set of remote servers.

35. The method of claim 29, wherein the location of interest is one of a point of interest selected on the map, a particular location selected on the map, a route destination identified on the map, and a search result displayed in response to a search query received at the device.