Application suggestions for mobile communication device based on location-based directory information

• US 8,559,931 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2009
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Moon, Hannah Youngsil, Morley, Dorothy Beau, Dobroth, Kathryn Mary
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, WESLEY LEO
• Application Number:
  US12/612,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20110105150A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,441 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4563, 4554566-457, 455/414.2, 705/14.4, 705/14.9, 705/14.54, 705/14.58, 705/14.64, 705/26.1
• US Class Current: 455/414.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

A mobile communication device may include a mobile communication system configured to facilitate wireless mobile communications. A location sensing system may be configured to sense the location of the mobile communication device. A location-based points of interest application may be configured to locate points of interest within the vicinity of the mobile communication device based on the location of the mobile communication device. An application mapping application may be configured to locate user applications that are relevant to the points of interest within the vicinity of the mobile communication device. A user interface may be configured to present links to the user applications.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device comprising:

a mobile communication system configured to facilitate wireless mobile communications;

a location sensing system configured to sense the location of the mobile communication device;

a location-based services application configured to locate services within the vicinity of the mobile communication device based on the location of the mobile communication device;

an application mapping application configured to locate user application programs that can be executed by the mobile communication device and that are relevant to the services within the vicinity of the mobile communication device, wherein the application mapping application is configured to;

transmit, through the network to a plurality of application mapping servers, queries for application programs related to the services located by the location-based services application, each query identifying at least one of the services, and each query including information identifying an application mapping server of the plurality of application mapping servers to which the query should be delivered;

receive responses from the plurality of application mapping servers including information about application programs relevant to the services identified in the queries;

identify whether any of the application programs relevant to the services identified in the queries are already loaded for execution within the mobile communication device; and

consolidate the responses from the plurality of application mapping servers for presentation by a user interface, the user interface being configured to present links to the user application programs, based on the received information, where the links differentiate between a first user application program identified as already loaded within the mobile communication device and a second user application program identified as not already loaded within the mobile communication device.

2. The mobile communication device of claim 1 wherein the location-based services application is configured to locate the services based on metadata indicative of at least one classification for each service.

3. The mobile communication device of claim 2 wherein the user application programs are each associated with metadata that is indicative of at least one classification for each user application program.

4. The mobile communication device of claim 3 wherein the metadata associated with each user application program is descriptive of services to which each user application program is relevant.

5. The mobile communication device of claim 3 wherein the application mapping application is configured to locate the user application programs based on matches between the services metadata and the user application program metadata.

6. The mobile communication device of claim 1 wherein the location-based services application is configured to locate the services by querying a server that is not part of the wireless mobile communication device.

7. The mobile communication device of claim 1 wherein the location-based services application is configured to locate services which include local restaurants.

8. The mobile communication device of claim 1 wherein the location-based services application is configured to locate services which include local retail stores.

9. The mobile communication device of claim 1 wherein the user interface is configured to present a user-selectable icon which, when selected by a user, causes a link to be displayed to a server at which the user may acquire the second user application program identified as not already loaded within the mobile communication device.

10. The mobile communication device of claim 1 wherein the application mapping application is configured to locate user application programs without requiring any personal information about a user.

11. The mobile communication device of claim 1 wherein the application mapping application is further configured to download the located second user application program identified as not already loaded within the mobile communication device and to cause the located second user application program to be executed by the mobile communication device.

12. The mobile communication device of claim 1 wherein the link to the second user application program identified as not already loaded within the mobile communication device is a link to a server from which the second user application program may be downloaded, and the link to the first user application program identified as already loaded within the mobile communication device is a link to an executable file for running the first user application program on the mobile communication device.

13. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media containing computer-executable programming instructions which, when read and executed by a mobile communication device having a mobile communication system configured to facilitate wireless mobile communications, a location sensing system configured to sense the location of the mobile communication device, and a user interface, cause the mobile communication device to:

locate services within the vicinity of the mobile communication device based on the location of the mobile communication device;

locate user application programs that can be executed by the mobile communication device and that are relevant to the services within the vicinity of the mobile communication device based on the location of the mobile communication device, by;

transmitting, through the network to a plurality of application mapping servers, queries for application programs related to the services located within the vicinity of the mobile communication device, each query identifying at least one of the services, and each query including information identifying an application mapping server of the plurality of application mapping servers to which the query should be delivered;

receiving responses from the plurality of application mapping servers including information about application programs relevant to the services identified in the queries;

identifying whether any of the application programs relevant to the services identified in the queries are already loaded for execution within the mobile communication device;

consolidating the responses from the plurality of application mapping servers for presentation on the user interface; and

presenting links to the user application programs on the user interface, based on the received information, where the links differentiate between a first user application program identified as already loaded within the mobile communication device and a second user application program identified as not already loaded within the mobile communication device.

14. The computer-readable storage media of claim 13 wherein the user application programs are each associated with metadata that is indicative of at least one classification for each user application program.

15. The computer-readable storage media of claim 14 wherein the metadata is descriptive of services to which each user application program is relevant.

16. The computer-readable storage media of claim 14 wherein the programming instructions are configured to cause the mobile communication device to locate metadata indicative of at least one classification for each service.

17. The computer-readable storage media of claim 16 wherein the programming instructions are configured to cause the mobile communication device to locate the user application programs based on matches between the services metadata and the user application program metadata.

18. The computer-readable storage media of claim 13 wherein the programming instructions are configured to cause the mobile communication device to locate the services by querying a server that is not part of the wireless mobile communication device.

19. The computer-readable storage media of claim 13 wherein the programming instructions are configured to cause the mobile communication device to locate services which include local restaurants.

20. The computer-readable storage media of claim 13 wherein the programming instructions are configured to cause the mobile communication device to locate services which include local retail stores.

21. The computer-readable storage media of claim 13 wherein the programming instructions are configured to cause the user interface to present a user-selectable icon which links to a server at which the user may acquire the second user application program identified as not already loaded within the mobile communication device.

22. The computer-readable storage media of claim 13 wherein the programming instructions are configured to cause the mobile communication device to locate user application programs without requiring any personal information about a user.

23. The computer-readable storage media of claim 13 wherein the programming instructions are configured to cause the mobile communication device to download the located second user application program identified as not already loaded within the mobile communication device and to cause the mobile communication device to execute the located second user application program.

24. The computer-readable storage media of claim 13 wherein the link to the second user application program identified as not already loaded within the mobile communication device is a link to a server from which the second user application program may be downloaded, and the link to the first user application program identified as already loaded within the mobile communication device is a link to an executable file for running the first user application program on the mobile communication device.