Mobile device navigation state application programming interface

• US 8,886,460 B1
• Filed: 11/29/2012
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Keoshkerian, Matthew Arrek
• Primary Examiner(s): CAMBY, RICHARD M
• Application Number:
  US13/688,431
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 701/533, 701/409, 701/410, 701/420, 701/423, 701/454, 701/461, 701/532
• US Class Current: 701/533
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/53 by executing in a restricted environment, e.g. sandbox or secure virtual machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/084 using delegated authorisation, e.g. open authorisation [OAuth] protocol
• 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 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

A method includes providing a service to expose navigation events data generated by a maps navigation application on a Linux-based mobile computing device platform to a third party application. The method further includes making provisions for verification on the mobile computing device platform that the third party application is authorized to access the navigation events data, and for establishing an interprocess service connection to the third party application upon verification of authorization.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a service to publish to a third party application navigation events data generated by a maps navigation application, wherein the third party application and the maps navigation application are different applications running on a mobile computing device platform;

making provisions for verification that the third party application is authorized to access the navigation events data; and

making provisions for, upon authorization, establishing an interprocess service connection from the third party application to the maps navigation application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile computing device platform includes a Linux-based operating system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile computing device platform includes an Android operating system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the navigation events data generated by the maps navigation application include one or more of:

a current snapped-to-road location;

an intended destination;

a route to a destination;

a traffic status;

a distance remaining to a destination; and

estimated arrival time at a destination.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a service to publish navigation events data generated by a maps navigation application running on the mobile computing device platform includes:

providing an application programming interface for the third party application to access the service.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein making provisions for verification that the third party application is authorized to access the navigation events data includes:

implementing a permission model of the mobile computing device platform in which user consent or authorization for third-party access to the navigation events data is obtained when the third party application is first installed.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein implementing a permission model of the mobile computing device platform in which user consent or authorization for access to the navigation events data is obtained when the third party application is first installed includes:

prompting a user for consent for access to the navigation events data when the third party application is first installed on the mobile computing device platform.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein making provisions for verification that the third party application is authorized to access the navigation events data includes:

implementing a permission model of the mobile computing device platform in which permissions for access to the navigation events data are declared in control files of both the maps navigation application and the third party application.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein making provisions for establishing an interprocess service connection from the third party application to the maps navigation application includes making provisions for:

receiving a registration call from the third party application seeking access to the navigation events data; and

initiating processes to establish an interprocess service connection from the third party application.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein making provisions to initiate processes to establish an interprocess service connection from the third party application includes making provisions for:

responding to third party application request for access to data with a service binder object defining an interface for interprocess communication via the mobile device computing platform.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein making provisions to initiate processes to establish an interprocess service connection from the third party application includes making provisions for:

alerting the third party application that the interprocess service is connected.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

making provisions for attachment of a navigation events listener by the third party application.

13. A tangible computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, which instructions when executed by one or more microprocessors cause a computer system to:

provide a service to publish to a third party application navigation events data generated by a maps navigation application, wherein the third party application and the maps navigation application are different applications running on a mobile computing device platform;

make provisions for verification that the third party application is authorized to access the navigation events data; and

make provisions for, upon authorization, establishing an interprocess service connection to the third party application.

14. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the mobile computing device platform includes a Linux-based operating system.

15. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the mobile computing device platform includes an Android operating system.

16. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions when executed cause the computer system to provide an application programming interface for the third party application to access the service on the mobile computing device platform.

17. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions when executed cause the computer system to:

implement a permission model in which user consent or authorization for access to the navigation events data is obtained when the third party application is first installed on the mobile computing device platform.

18. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions when executed cause the computer system to implement provisions for:

prompting a user for consent for access to the navigation events data when the third party application is first installed on the mobile computing device platform.

19. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions when executed cause the computer system to:

implement a permission model in which in which permissions for access to the navigation events data are declared in control files of both the maps navigation application and the third party application.

20. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions when executed cause the computer system to implement provisions for:

receiving a registration call from the third party application seeking access to the navigation events data; and

initiating processes to establish an interprocess service connection to the third party application.

21. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the instructions when executed cause the computer system to implement provisions for:

responding to a third party application request for access to data with a service binder object defining an interface for interprocess communication via the mobile device computing platform.

22. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the instructions when executed cause the computer system to implement provisions for:

alerting the third party application that the interprocess service is connected.

23. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions when executed cause the computer system to implement provisions for:

attaching a navigation events listener to the third party application.

24. A computing device, comprising:

one or more hardware components including at least one processor and at least one memory; and

a computing platform supported by the one or more hardware components governed by an operating system,

wherein the computing platform in conjunction with a maps navigation application includes;

a service to publish navigation events data generated by the maps navigation application;

provisions for verification that a third party application is authorized to access the navigation events data; and

provisions for, upon authorization, establishing an interprocess service connection to the third party application,

wherein the third party application and the maps navigation application are different applications running on the computing device platform.

25. The computing device of claim 24, wherein the operating system is a Linux-based operating system.

26. The computing device of claim 24, wherein the operating system is an Android operating system.

27. The computing device of claim 24, wherein the navigation events data generated by the maps navigation application include one or more of current snapped-to-road location, intended destination, route to destination, traffic status, distance remaining, and estimated arrival time.

28. The computing device of claim 24, wherein the maps navigation application includes:

an application programming interface for the third party application to access the service.

29. The computing device of claim 24, wherein the computing platform in conjunction with the maps navigation application is configured to implement a permission model in which user consent or authorization for access to the navigation events data is obtained when the third party application is first installed.

30. The computing device of claim 24, wherein the computing platform in conjunction with the maps navigation application is configured to prompt a user for consent for access to the navigation events data when the third party application is first installed.

31. The computing device of claim 24, wherein the computing platform in conjunction with the maps navigation application is configured to implement a permission model in which in which permissions for access to the navigation events data are declared in control files of both the maps navigation application and the third party application.

32. The computing device of claim 24, wherein the computing platform in conjunction with the maps navigation application is configured to:

receive a registration call from the third party application seeking access to the navigation events data; and

initiate processes to establish an interprocess service connection to the third party application.

33. The computing device of claim 32, wherein the computing platform in conjunction with the maps navigation application is configured to:

respond to the third party application request for access to data with a service binder object defining an interface for interprocess communication via the computing platform.

34. The computing device of claim 32, wherein the computing platform in conjunction with the maps navigation application is configured to:

alert the third party application that the interprocess service is connected.

35. The computing device of claim 32, wherein the computing platform in conjunction with the maps navigation application is configured to:

making provisions for attachment to a navigation events listener by the third party application.