Method for sorting and displaying data on a portable electronic device

• US 8,161,031 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2006
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Blommesteijn, Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): Quader, Fazlul
• Application Number:
  US11/433,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20070266005A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,164 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/708
• US Class Current: 707/708
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/022 with dynamic range variability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass

Abstract

A method of sorting and displaying data on a portable electronic device includes: determining geographical coordinates of the portable electronic device, providing search criteria to the portable electronic device, performing a search in a database based on the search criteria resulting in a list of database records, determining a search area of the portable electronic device and displaying selected records from the list of database records on a display screen of the portable electronic device. Each of the selected records is located within a search radius, which originates at the geographical coordinates of the portable electronic device, and within the search area, which is determined based on a pointing direction of the portable electronic device.

Claims

1. A method of sorting and displaying data on a portable electronic device comprising:

determining geographical coordinates of said portable electronic device;

providing search criteria to said portable electronic device, said search criteria including a search radius, wherein said search area is a sector of a circle that is defined by said search radius, said search radius originating at said geographical coordinates of said portable electronic device;

sending said search criteria to a server to cause said server to perform a search in a database on said server based on said search criteria, said search resulting in a list of database records;

receiving, at said portable electronic device, said list of database records from said server;

determining a pointing direction of said portable electronic device, wherein said pointing direction is a pointing direction of a forward end of said portable electronic device;

determining a search area based on the pointing direction of said portable electronic device; and

displaying selected records from said list of database records on a display screen of said portable electronic device, said selected database records having geographic coordinates located within said search area.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said search criteria further include at least one search parameter.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said search parameter is a category of said database records.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said search area is a rectangle.

13. The method of claim 3, wherein said category includes:

residences, businesses, government offices, or landmarks.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the displaying comprises displaying said selected records on a map.

4. A method of sorting and displaying data on a portable electronic device comprising:

determining geographical coordinates of said portable electronic device;

determining a pointing direction of said portable electronic device, wherein said pointing direction is a pointing direction of a forward end of said portable electronic device;

calculating a search area based on said pointing direction and a search radius, wherein said search area is a sector of a circle that is defined by said search radius, said search radius originating at said geographical coordinates of said portable electronic device;

sending search criteria including said search area to a server to cause said server to perform a search in a records database on said server based on said search criteria;

receiving, at said portable electronic device, records meeting said search criteria from said server; and

displaying said records on a display screen of said portable electronic device.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein said search criteria further include at least one search parameter.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said search parameter is a category of said database records.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein said category includes:

residences, businesses, government offices, or landmarks.

16. The method of claim 4 wherein the displaying comprises displaying said records on a map.

7. A portable electronic device comprising:

positioning system hardware for determining geographical coordinates of said portable electronic device;

magnetic sensor hardware for determining a pointing direction of said portable electronic device, wherein said pointing direction is a pointing direction of a forward end of said portable electronic device;

a processor for;

sending said search criteria to a server to cause said server to perform a search in a database on said server based on said search criteria, said search resulting in a list of database records;

receiving said list of database records from said server; and

determining a search area based on the pointing direction of said portable electronic device, wherein said search area is a sector of a circle that is defined by a search radius; and

a screen for displaying records from said list of database records having geographic coordinates located within said search area.

8. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 7, wherein said processor is included in said portable electronic device.

9. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 7, wherein said sector is bisected by said pointing direction.

10. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 7, wherein said search criteria further include at least one search parameter.

11. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 10, wherein said search parameter is a category of said records database.

17. The portable electronic device of claim 7 wherein the displaying comprises displaying the records on a map.