Methods and apparatus for geo-collaboration

• US 9,076,348 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2014
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interdigital Vc Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: VID SCALE Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Coch, Gabriel, Smith, David Mark, Knight, Graham
• Primary Examiner(s): CAMBY, RICHARD M
• Application Number:
  US14/278,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20140365110A1
• Time in Patent Office: 418 Days
• Field of Search: 701408-426, 701450-459, 701/300, 701/301, 701/96, 340989-993, 3409951-99512
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Methods and computer readable medium for collaborating on geographical maps between two or more computers are disclosed. In particular, sharing a geographical location on a map between two or more computers and co-navigating a map between two or more computers are disclosed. With respect to sharing a geographical location, the geographical location is retrieved to the first computer. The geographical location is added to the map being rendered at the first computer and is sent to a second computer. A map including the geographical location is rendered at the second computer. With respect to co-navigating, a map is displayed from a map perspective at the first computer. The map perspective is sent to the second computer. A map from the same map perspective being displayed at the first computer is rendered at the second computer.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising a display, at least one processor, and at least one network interface, wherein the at least one processor is configured, at least in part, to:

retrieve a map from a network repository via the at least one network interface over a first communication network, the map being associated with a plurality of layers;

render the map including at least a first layer of the plurality of layers on the display of the computing device;

add a map object to the first layer;

render the map including the map object on the display of the computing device based on adding the map object to the first layer; and

send information associated with the map object to the network repository via the at least one network interface on condition that a network connection is available via the at least one network interface, wherein the information associated with the map object is sent to the network repository in response to adding the map object to the first layer.

2. The computing device as in claim 1, further comprising memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

store the information associated with the map object in the memory when a network connection is not available upon adding the map object to the first layer; and

send the information associated with the map object to the network repository in response to a network connection becoming available.

3. The computing device as in claim 2, wherein the network connection that becomes available comprises a network connection capable of accessing the network repository via a second communications network that is different than the first communications network.

4. The computing device as in claim 1, wherein the network connection comprises a network connection capable of accessing the network repository via the first communications network.

5. The computing device as in claim 1, wherein the network interface comprises a wireless connection to the first communication network.

6. The computing device as in claim 5, wherein the computing device comprises a mobile handheld device.

7. The computing device as in claim 6, wherein the wireless connection to the first communication network comprises a cellular network connection to a cellular communication network.

8. The computing device as in claim 6, wherein the wireless connection to the first communication network comprises a connection to a wireless local area network.

9. The computing device as in claim 1, further comprising a user interface, wherein the map object comprises a user selected map object, the user interface is configured to receive a user input that is indicative of a geographical location corresponding to the map object, and the at least one processor is configured to render the map object on the map at the geographical location.

10. The computing device as in claim 9, wherein the first layer comprises a dynamic layer of map objects.

11. The computing device as in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive, via the network interface, a second information associated with a second map item from the network repository, the second map item being generated at a different device; and

render the second map item at a location on the map indicated by the second information.

12. A method implemented by a computing device for sharing geographical information, the method comprising:

retrieving a map from a network repository via a first communication network, the map being associated with a plurality of layers;

rendering the map including at least a first layer of the plurality of layers on a display of the computing device;

adding a map object to the first layer based on an input received via a user interface of the computing device, wherein the input is indicative of a geographical location for the map object and a network connection for accessing the network repository is unavailable when the map object is added to the first layer;

rendering the map object on the map at the geographical location on the display of the computing device based on adding the map object to the first layer; and

sending information associated with the map object to the network repository based on adding the map object to the first layer and in response to the network connection for accessing the network repository becoming available.

13. The method as in claim 12, wherein the network connection for accessing the network repository becoming available comprises the computing device reconnecting to the first communication network.

14. The method as in claim 12, wherein the network connection for accessing the network repository becoming available comprises the computing device establishing the network connection via a second communication network that is different than the first communication network.

15. The method as in claim 12, further comprising synchronizing with the network repository, wherein synchronizing with the network repository comprises retrieving at least one of a second map layer from the network repository or a second map object from the network repository.

16. The method as in claim 12, wherein the network repository comprises at least one server accessible via at least the first communication network.

17. The method as in claim 12, wherein the first communication network comprises the Internet.

18. The method as in claim 12, further comprising:

determining a location of the computing device; and

rendering a second map object indicative of the location of the computing device on the map with the first map object.

19. A tangible computer readable storage medium including computer readable instructions that when executed on a processor perform a method comprising:

retrieving a map from a network repository via a first communication network, the map being associated with a plurality of layers;

rendering the map including at least a first layer of the plurality of layers on a display;

adding a map object to the first layer based on an input received via a user interface, wherein the input is indicative of a geographical location for the map object and a network connection capable of accessing the network repository is unavailable when the map object is added to the first layer;

rendering the map object on the map at the geographical location on the display based on adding the map object to the first layer;

locally storing information associated with the map object; and

sending the information associated with the map object to the network repository based on adding the map object to the first layer and in response to the network connection capable of accessing the network repository becoming available.

20. The computer readable storage medium as in claim 19, wherein the method further comprises rendering at least one static map layer on the map with the map object, the static layer comprising roads to be displayed on the map.