MAP DOWNLOADING BASED ON USER'S FUTURE LOCATION

• US 20170311129A1
• Filed: 04/21/2016
• Published: 10/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Lopez-Uricoechea, Rafael, Colbert, Oliver, Moncayo, Silvana
• Granted Patent: US 9,992,628 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3885 Transmission of map data to client devices; Reception of map data by client devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for facilitating a download of a specific portion of a map onto a computing device based on information received from a location-aware service. Location information, a start date, and an end date associated with travel plans of a user are received from, for example, a location-aware application or service. A download time corresponding to when to download a map portion corresponding to the received location information is determined. At or prior to the download time, it is determined whether the map portion can be downloaded at that particular time based on one or more factors. If the map portion can be downloaded at that time, the map portion is downloaded to a device associated with the user. The map portion is then removed from the device associated with the user on or after the end date.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating a download of a specific portion of a map onto a computing device based on information received from a location-aware service, the method comprising:

receiving, from the location-aware service, location information, a start date associated with travel plans of a user, and an end date associated with the travel plans of the user;

determining a download time for downloading a map portion corresponding to the received location information;

at or prior to the download time, inspecting one or more factors to determine if the map portion can be downloaded at that time;

if it determined that the map portion can be downloaded at that time, downloading the map portion to a device associated with the user; and

removing the map portion from the device associated with the user subsequent to the end date associated with the travel plans of the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more factors comprise current network conditions, current power conditions of the device, or current storage conditions of the device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information comprises one or more of a location associated with a starting location or a location associated with an ending location of the travel plans of the user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the location comprises latitude and longitude values.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising downloading the map portion onto a map store located on the user device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning a package identifier to the map portion.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating for presentation a notification to the device associated with the user alerting the particular user that the map portion will be downloaded onto the device at the download time.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the notification allows the user to accept or reject the downloading of the map portion.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the download time occurs prior to the start date.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information, the start date, and the end date associated with travel plans of the user are received from the location-aware service without a request for the information.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising, based on the received end date, determining when to remove the map portion from the device.

12. A system facilitating a download of a specific portion of a map onto a computing device based on information received from a location-aware service, the system comprising:

a map scheduler having one or more processors and one or more computer-readable storage media, the map scheduler configured to;

receive, from the location-aware service, location information, a start date, and an end date associated with travel plans of a user;

based on one or more factors and the received start date, determine that a map portion can be downloaded at that time to a device associated with the user;

download the map portion to a device associated with the user; and

remove the map portion from the device associated with the user on or after the end date.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the map portion is downloaded onto a map store located on the device associated with the user.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more factors comprise one or more of an optimal date, network conditions, power conditions of the device, or storage conditions of the device.

15. One or more computer storage hardware devices having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, facilitate a download of a specific portion of a map onto a computing device based on information received from a location-aware application or service, the method comprising:

receiving, from the location-aware application or service, a start date, an end date, and location information associated with an upcoming travel for a user;

scheduling a download time corresponding to a download of a map portion to a device associated with the user, thus allowing the map portion to be accessed by the user offline; and

scheduling a removal time corresponding to a removal of the map portion from the device associated with the user such that the map portion is no longer stored on the device.

16. The one or more computer storage hardware devices of claim 15, further comprising downloading the map portion to the device.

17. The one or more computer storage hardware devices of claim 16, further comprising adding landmarks to the downloaded map portion.

18. The one or more computer storage hardware devices of claim 15, further comprising removing the map portion from the device.

19. The one or more computer storage hardware devices of claim 15, further comprising at or prior to the download time, determining whether the map portion can be downloaded to the device based on one or more factors, the one or more factors comprising at least one of an optimal date, network conditions, power conditions of the device, or storage conditions of the device.

20. The one or more computer storage hardware devices of claim 15, wherein the removal time occurs on or after the end date.