System and method of wireless downloads of map and geographic based data to portable computing devices

• US 8,649,968 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2012
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tierravision Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Tierravision Incorporated
• Inventors: Cooper, Clive W. R., Wallner, Alfred M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US13/464,654
• Publication Number:
  US 20120221239A1
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 701/400, 701/408, 701/431, 701/426, 701/428, 701 23- 25, 701/409, 340/988, 340/995.1, 340/995.19
• US Class Current: 701/409
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3661 Guidance output on an external device, e.g. car radio
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3676 Overview of the route on the road map
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72472 wherein the items are sorted according to specific criteria, e.g. frequency of use
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/022 with dynamic range variability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Systems and method of managing map data on electronic devices such as portable electronic devices include systems and methods of preloading map data, managing map data storage, sharing point of interest or pushpin data with other electronic devices, and displaying map data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, from a wireless communication device, location information indicating a current map segment of a plurality of map segments simultaneously displayed on the wireless communication device to form a map displayed on the wireless communication device, the current map segment including a device location of the wireless communication device on the map; and

identifying pushpin data based on the current map segment, the pushpin data indicating a pushpin location on the map and meeting a criteria received from the wireless communication device; and

sending the pushpin data to the wireless communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information comprises a current map segment index identifying the current map segment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the pushpin data indicates a plurality of pushpin locations on the map.

4. A method comprising:

displaying a map on a wireless communication device, the map formed by a plurality of rectangular map segments simultaneously displayed on the wireless communication device;

sending, to a server, location information indicating a current map segment of the plurality of map segments, the current map segment including a device location of the wireless communication device on the map;

sending, to the server, criteria for identifying at least one pushpin location;

receiving, from the server, pushpin data indicating the at least one pushpin location on the map and meeting the criteria; and

displaying the at least one pushpin location on the map.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the pushpin data indicates a plurality of pushpin locations, the method further comprising:

comparing geographical pushpin indexes to map segment identifiers of the map segments; and

displaying only pushpin locations on the map that have geographical pushpin indexes corresponding to the map segment identifiers.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

calculating the geographical pushpin indexes from the pushpin data.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

downloading a non-cached map segment including one or more of the at least one pushpin location.

8. A method comprising:

sending first pushpin data to a wireless communication device based on a criteria and a geographical region associated with the wireless communication device, the pushpin data representing a first location on a map displayed on the wireless communication device and formed by a plurality of map segments simultaneously displayed on the wireless communication device;

receiving, from the wireless communication device, updated location information indicating a current map segment of the plurality of map segments, the current map segment including a device location of the wireless communication device on the map; and

sending second pushpin data to the wireless communication device based on the criteria and the current map segment, the second pushpin data representing a second location on the map.

9. A method comprising:

displaying a map on a wireless communication device, the map formed by a plurality of rectangular map segments simultaneously displayed on the wireless communication device;

sending, to a server, criteria for identifying at least one pushpin location;

receiving, from the server, first pushpin data indicating a first pushpin location on the map and meeting the criteria;

indicating the first pushpin location on the map;

sending, to the server, updated location information indicating a current map segment of the plurality of map segments, the current map segment including a device location of the wireless communication device on the map;

receiving, from the server, second pushpin data indicating a second pushpin location on the map and meeting the criteria; and

indicating the second pushpin location on the map.