Method, system, apparatus and computer-readable medium for browsing spot information

• US 8,543,333 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2011
• Issued: 09/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Lee, Po-Yen, Chen, Chien-Wen, Yeh, Pai-Chang, Lian, Li-Wen
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatib, Rami
• Application Number:
  US13/039,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20120059576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 701/400, 701/408, 701/409, 701/431, 701/432, 701/436, 701/438, 701/454, 701/458, 701/459, 701/461, 701/523, 701/526, 701/532, 701/537, 701/538, 701/540, 701/541, 705/14.53, 705/14.54, 705/14.55, 705/14.57, 705/14.58, 705/14.66, 705/14.67, 715/764, 715/769, 715/779, 715/786, 715/787, 715/800
• US Class Current: 701/454
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3874 Structures specially adapted for data searching and retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods

Abstract

A method, a system, an apparatus, and a computer-readable medium for browsing spot information, adapted to an electronic device, are provided. In the present method, a plurality of spot information are retrieved, in which each of the spot information at least comprises a picture and a location of a spot. Next, an electronic map is displayed and a spot marker is marked at the spot location of each spot information on the electronic map. Meanwhile, a spot browsing bar is displayed on a side of the electronic map and the spot pictures of the spot information are sequentially displayed in the spot browsing bar. When a select operation of a certain spot marker on the electronic map is received, the spot browsing bar is scrolled to show the spot picture corresponding to the selected spot marker.

Claims

1. A method for browsing spot information, adapted to an electronic device, the method for browsing spot information comprising:

the electronic device connecting to a social network website or spot sharing website;

retrieving a plurality of spot information comprising at least a custom created spot information by a user of the electronic device and a spot information shared by the social network or the spot sharing website, wherein each of the spot information comprises a spot picture and a spot location of a spot;

displaying an electronic map, and marking a spot marker at the spot location of each spot information on the electronic map;

displaying a spot browsing bar on a side of the electronic map, and sequentially displaying the spot pictures of the spot information in the spot browsing bar; and

when a select operation of one of the spot markers on the electronic map is received, scrolling the spot browsing bar to show the spot picture corresponding to the selected spot marker.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of retrieving the spot information comprises:

connecting to the social network website; and

retrieving spot information shared by a plurality of contacts of the user from the social network website.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the spot information comprises a spot name of the spot and a member picture of the member sharing the spot information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein when the select operation of one of the spot markers on the electronic map is received, the method further comprises:

extendedly displaying a spot note block from the selected spot marker, wherein the spot note block displays the spot picture corresponding to the selected spot marker.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein after the step of extendedly displaying the spot note block from the selected spot marker, the method further comprises:

displaying an add option for adding the spot information to be a favorite spot, and displaying a send option for sending the spot information to other members or contacts.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein after the step of extendedly displaying the spot note block from the selected spot marker, the method further comprises:

displaying a spot information editing block for editing the spot information when a select operation of the add option in the spot note block is received; and

adding the edited spot information to be a favorite spot when a select operation of an OK option in the spot information editing block is received.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of scrolling the spot browsing bar to show the spot picture corresponding to the selected spot marker comprises:

scrolling the spot browsing bar to scroll the spot picture corresponding to the selected spot marker to a display area of the spot browsing bar.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein after the step of displaying the electronic map and the spot browsing bar, the method further comprises:

when a select operation of one of the spot pictures in the spot browsing bar is received, shifting a display area of the electronic map to locate the spot marker corresponding to the selected spot picture at a center of the electronic map.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein after the step of displaying the electronic map and the spot browsing bar, the method further comprises:

receiving a select operation of an add option;

controlling a mobile device connected to the electronic device to execute a positioning function to obtain a current location of the mobile device; and

displaying a spot information editing block, and marking the current location of the mobile device on the electronic map in the spot information editing block by a device marker.

10. An apparatus for browsing spot information, comprising:

a display module;

a spot information retrieving module, configured to connect to a social network website or spot sharing website and to retrieve a plurality of spot information comprising at least a custom created spot information by a user of the electronic device and a spot information shared by the social network or the spot sharing website, wherein each of the spot information comprises a spot picture and a spot location of a spot;

an electronic map module, configured to display an electronic map on the display module, and mark a spot marker at the spot location of each spot information on the electronic map;

a spot browsing bar module, configured to display a spot browsing bar on a side of the electronic map, and sequentially displaying the spot pictures of the spot information in the spot browsing bar; and

an input module, configured to receive a select operation,

wherein when the input module receives the select operation of one of the spot markers on the electronic map displayed by the electronic map module, the spot browsing bar module scrolls the spot browsing bar to show the spot picture corresponding to the selected spot marker.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the spot information retrieving module is connected to the social network website to retrieve spot information shared by a plurality of contacts of the user from the social network website.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the spot information comprises a spot name of the spot and a member picture of the member sharing the spot information.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a spot note module, wherein when the input module receives the select operation of one of the spot markers on the electronic map, the spot note module extendedly displays a spot note block from the selected spot marker, and the spot note block displays the spot picture corresponding to the selected spot marker.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the spot note module further displays an add option in the spot note block for adding the spot information to be a favorite spot, and displays a send option in the spot note block for sending the spot information to other members or contacts.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a spot information editing module, configured to display a spot information editing block for editing the spot information when the input module receives the select operation of the add option in the spot note block, and add the edited spot information to be a favorite spot when the input module receives the select operation of an OK option in the spot information editing block.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein when the input module receives the select operation of one of the spot markers on the electronic map displayed by the electronic map module, the spot browsing bar module scrolls the spot browsing bar to scroll the spot picture corresponding to the selected spot marker to a display area of the spot browsing bar.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a connection unit, configured to connect a mobile device; and

a control module, configured to control the mobile device to execute a positioning function to obtain a current location of the mobile device when the input module receives the select operation of a locate option,

wherein the electronic map module further marks the current location of the mobile device on the electronic map by a device marker, and shifts a display area of the electronic map to locate the device marker at a center of the electronic map.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a connection unit, configured to connect a mobile device;

a control module, configured to control the mobile device to execute a positioning function to obtain a current location of the mobile device when the input module receives the select operation of a locate option; and

a spot information editing module, configured to display a spot information editing block, and mark the current location of the mobile device on the electronic map in the spot information editing block by a device marker.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, recording program instructions executed by an electronic device to perform:

connecting to a social network website or spot sharing website by the electronic device;

retrieving a plurality of spot information comprising at least a custom created spot information by a user of the electronic device and a spot information shared by the social network or the spot sharing website, wherein each of the spot information comprises a spot picture and a spot location of a spot;

displaying an electronic map, and marking a spot marker at the spot location of each spot information on the electronic map;

displaying a spot browsing bar on a side of the electronic map, and sequentially displaying the spot pictures of the spot information in the spot browsing bar; and

when a select operation of one of the spot markers on the electronic map is received, scrolling the spot browsing bar to show the spot picture corresponding to the selected spot marker.

20. A system for browsing spot information, comprising:

a spot information retrieving tool, for connecting to a social network website or spot sharing website and retrieving a plurality of spot information comprising at least a custom created spot information by a user of the electronic device and a spot information shared by the social network or the spot sharing website, wherein each of the spot information comprises a spot picture and a spot location of a spot;

an electronic map tool, for displaying an electronic map, and marking a spot marker at the spot location of each spot information on the electronic map;

a spot browsing bar tool, for displaying a spot browsing bar on a side of the electronic map, and sequentially displaying the spot pictures of the spot information in the spot browsing bar; and

an input tool, for receiving a select operation,

wherein when the select operation of one of the spot markers on the electronic map displayed by the electronic map tool is received, the spot browsing bar tool scrolls the spot browsing bar to show the spot picture corresponding to the selected spot marker.

an input tool, for receiving a select operation from a user,

wherein when the select operation of one of the spot markers on the electronic map displayed by the electronic map tool is received from a user, the spot browsing bar tool rolls the spot browsing bar to mark the spot picture corresponding to the selected spot marker.