COLLABORATIVE LOCATION-BASED SEARCH RESULTS

• US 20170249322A1
• Filed: 03/02/2017
• Published: 08/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Dave, Swapnil R, Rao, Kaustubh M.
• Granted Patent: US 10,198,489 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/444 Spatial browsing, e.g. 2D maps, 3D or virtual spaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

Multiple mobile devices can be enabled to collaboratively search online information databases for results that may be interesting to all of them. Such search results can involve places of interest at which all of the search participants can conveniently meet due to the locations of those results being near to all of the search participants, for example.

Claims

1-24. -24. (canceled)

25. A method comprising:

receiving, at a first computing device, from a second computing device, a request indicating both (a) geographical coordinates of the second computing device and (b) one or more criteria specified by the second computing device;

in response to receiving the request, the first computing device automatically determining geographical coordinates of the first computing device;

in response to receiving the request, the first computing device automatically locating one or more establishments that each (1) are within a specified distance of the geographical coordinates of the first computing device, (2) are also within a specified distance of the geographical coordinates of the second computing device, and (3) also satisfy the one or more criteria; and

in response to locating the one or more establishments, the first computing device presenting information about the one or more establishments.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

determining, based at least in part on the geographical coordinates of the first computing device and the geographical coordinates of the second computing device, which of the first computing device and the second computing device is currently closest to the one or more establishments.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the request is sent to the first computing device from the second computing device in response to a time-based triggering of a reminder stored on the second computing device.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the first computing device automatically locating the one or more establishments further comprises:

the first computing device automatically determining one or more drivable routes from the coordinates of the first computing device to the coordinates of the second computing device; and

the first computing device automatically locating one or more establishments that each are within a specified distance of a point occurring along the one or more drivable routes and also satisfy the one or more criteria.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the first computing device automatically determining the geographical coordinates of the first computing device comprises the first computing device automatically determining the geographical coordinates of the first computing device using only a global positioning system of the first computing device, without reference to any human input regarding a location of the first computing device.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the request indicates geographical coordinates of the second computing device that the second computing device estimated based on at least one of:

(a) a global positioning system incorporated in the second computing device, (b) cellular telephone signals received by the second computing device, or (c) an Internet Protocol address of a WiFi access point with which the second computing device is communicating.

31. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to perform at least:

receiving, at a first computing device, from a second computing device, a request indicating both (a) geographical coordinates of the second computing device and (b) one or more criteria specified by the second computing device;

in response to receiving the request, the first computing device automatically determining geographical coordinates of the first computing device;

in response to receiving the request, the first computing device automatically locating one or more establishments that each (1) are within a specified distance of the geographical coordinates of the first computing device, (2) are also within a specified distance of the geographical coordinates of the second computing device, and (3) also satisfy the one or more criteria; and

in response to locating the one or more establishments, the first computing device presenting information about the one or more establishments.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

determining, based at least in part on the geographical coordinates of the first computing device and the geographical coordinates of the second computing device, which of the first computing device and the second computing device is currently closest to the one or more establishments.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the request is sent to the first computing device from the second computing device in response to a time-based triggering of a reminder stored on the second computing device.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the first computing device automatically locating the one or more establishments further comprises:

the first computing device automatically determining one or more drivable routes from the coordinates of the first computing device to the coordinates of the second computing device; and

the first computing device automatically locating one or more establishments that each are within a specified distance of a point occurring along the one or more drivable routes and also satisfy the one or more criteria.

35. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the first computing device automatically determining the geographical coordinates of the first computing device comprises the first computing device automatically determining the geographical coordinates of the first computing device using only a global positioning system of the first computing device, without reference to any human input regarding a location of the first computing device.

36. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the request indicates geographical coordinates of the second computing device that the second computing device estimated based on at least one of:

(a) a global positioning system incorporated in the second computing device, (b) cellular telephone signals received by the second computing device, or (c) an Internet Protocol address of a WiFi access point with which the second computing device is communicating.

37. A method comprising performing at a first computing device:

receiving, from a second computing device, a request indicating both (a) geographical coordinates of the second computing device and (b) one or more criteria specified by the second computing device;

in response to receiving the request, automatically determining geographical coordinates of the first computing device;

in response to receiving the request, automatically locating one or more establishments that each are within a specified distance of a point occurring along one or more routes from the geographical coordinates of the first computing device to the geographical coordinates of the second computing device; and

in response to locating the one or more establishments, presenting information about the one or more establishments.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the one or more routes are one or more drivable routes from the geographical coordinates of the first computing device to the geographical coordinates of the second computing device.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein automatically determining the geographical coordinates of the first computing device comprises automatically determining the geographical coordinates of the first computing device using only a global positioning system of the first computing device, without reference to any human input regarding a location of the first computing device.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein the request indicates geographical coordinates of the second computing device that the second computing device estimated based on at least one of:

(a) a global positioning system incorporated in the second computing device, (b) cellular telephone signals received by the second computing device, or (c) an Internet Protocol address of a WiFi access point with which the second computing device is communicating.

41. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to perform at least:

receiving, at a first computing device, from a second computing device, a request indicating both (a) geographical coordinates of the second computing device and (b) one or more criteria specified by the second computing device;

in response to receiving the request, the first computing device automatically determining geographical coordinates of the first computing device;

in response to receiving the request, the first computing device automatically locating one or more establishments that each are within a specified distance of a point occurring along one or more routes from the geographical coordinates of the first computing device to the geographical coordinates of the second computing device; and

in response to locating the one or more establishments, the first computing device presenting information about the one or more establishments.

42. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the one or more routes are one or more drivable routes from the geographical coordinates of the first computing device to the geographical coordinates of the second computing device.

43. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 41, wherein automatically determining the geographical coordinates of the first computing device comprises automatically determining the geographical coordinates of the first computing device using only a global positioning system of the first computing device, without reference to any human input regarding a location of the first computing device.

44. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the request indicates geographical coordinates of the second computing device that the second computing device estimated based on at least one of:

(a) a global positioning system incorporated in the second computing device, (b) cellular telephone signals received by the second computing device, or (c) an Internet Protocol address of a WiFi access point with which the second computing device is communicating.