Systems and methods for displaying location-based maps on communication devices

• US 7,343,564 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2005
• Issued: 03/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smith Micro Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Core Mobility (Smith Micro Software Incorporated)
• Inventors: Othmer, Konstantin
• Primary Examiner(s): BAUTISTA, XIOMARA L
• Application Number:
  US11/298,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20060089160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 715/705, 715/708, 715/760, 715/764, 715/781, 715/788, 715/809, 715/835, 715/513, 715/935, 715/700, 715/733, 715/774, 715/839, 715/864, 715/866, 715/501.1, 715/765, 707/1, 719/328, 719/329, 345/157, 345/172, 701/200, 701/201, 701/207, 701/213, 701/214, 340/990, 340/995.1, 340/995.15, 340/995.17, 340/995.19
• US Class Current: 715/774
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/185 by embedding added-value information into content, e.g. geo-tagging
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/23 for mobile advertising

Abstract

Tickers are populated with location-based information that is selected according to the geographic location of communication devices. The location of a communication device is identified based on a GPS system, proximity to transmitters in a wireless network, user input, or using other techniques. Location-appropriate content is obtained either in real-time from the network or from a local data store at the communication device. In general location-based, context-aware content can be displayed on tickers associated with a variety of communication devices, including mobile communication devices and “immobile” or stationary personal computers. When a ticker item is selected from the ticker, a location associated with the selected ticker item and/or a location of the communication device is used to generate a map that is displayed on the display of the device to the user.

Claims

1. In a communication device that operates on a communication network and includes a graphical display device, a method for displaying a location-based map to a user, the method comprising:

at a communication device, receiving ticker items from a ticker server, at least one particular ticker item including information that includes a map associated with the particular ticker item;

using a scheduling system of the communication device to schedule the ticker items using one or more proximity rules;

storing the scheduled ticker items in a local data store of the communication device;

displaying the particular ticker item in a ticker on a display of the communication device according to the scheduling system of the communication device;

receiving input from a user selecting the particular ticker item, wherein the selected ticker item is associated with a destination location;

presenting information associated with the selected ticker item, wherein the information includes the map associated with the particular ticker item that is generated based on at least one of a current location of the communication device and the destination location; and

displaying the map on the display of the communication device, wherein as the current location of the communication device changes, a scale of the map dynamically varies depending on a changing distance between the current location of the communication device and the destination location.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein presenting information associated with the selected ticker item further comprises accessing a mapping server to request the map using at least one of the current location and the destination location.

3. The method as defined in claim 2, wherein accessing a mapping server further comprises providing the mapping server with at least one of the current location of the communication device and the destination location associated with the selected ticker item.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising displaying a path between the location of the communication device and the destination device.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising receiving a link in response to selecting the ticker item, wherein the link includes the destination location.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising identifying the current location of the communication device from at least one of the communication device and a ticker server.

7. In a communication device that operates on a communication network and includes a graphical display device, a method for displaying a location-based map on the graphical display device, the method comprising:

at a communication device, receiving ticker items from a ticker server, at least one particular ticker item including information that includes a map associated with the particular ticker item;

using a scheduling system of the communication device to schedule the ticker items using one or more proximity rules;

storing the scheduled ticker items in a local data store of the communication device;

displaying a ticker that includes the particular ticker item on the graphical display device of the communication device according to the scheduling system of the communication device;

obtaining geographical information that specifies a current location of the communication device;

receiving input from a user that selects the particular ticker item, the particular ticker item associated with a destination location;

displaying a map that includes the destination location and the current location of the communication device on the graphical display device; and

dynamically varying a scale of the map as the current location of the communication device changes based on a changing distance between the current location of the communication device and the destination location.

8. A method as defined in claim 7, further comprising obtaining location-based content from a location-based ticker server, wherein the location-based content corresponds to the ticker items in the ticker.

9. A method as defined in claim 7, further comprising requesting a map from a location-based ticker server.

10. A method as defined in claim 9, further comprising at least one of:

including the current location of the communication device in the request for the map; and

including the destination location in the request for the map.

11. A method as defined in claim 9, wherein displaying a map that includes the destination location on the graphical display device further comprises including a trace between the current location of the communication device and the destination location on the map.

12. A method as defined in claim 9, further comprising obtaining the current location of the communication device from at least one of the communication device and the location-based ticker server.

13. A method as defined in claim 9, further comprising displaying additional location-based and context-aware information related to the selected ticker item along with the map.

14. A method as defined in claim 9, further comprising receiving a link that, when selected by the user, accesses the location-based ticker server for the map, the link including at least the destination location.

15. A method as defined in claim 9, wherein obtaining geographical information that specifies a current location of the communication device further comprises identifying the current location using at least one of a GPS system, a proximity to transmitters in a wireless network, and user input.