Method and system for providing location-based user information via a map

• US 9,185,183 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2010
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kocharlakota, Sridhar
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lu, William
• Application Number:
  US12/925,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20110111770A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,839 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/457, 455/459, 379/123, 379/142.1, 379/142.11, 379/201.06, 379/207.12, 709/219, 709/201, 709/202, 709/203
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• 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 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information

Abstract

A method and system for providing location-based user information using a map is disclosed. The method includes displaying a plurality of local areas on a map. If one of the plurality of local areas is selected, user information corresponding to the selected local area is loaded, where the user information contains a name of a user, a phone number of the user, a subscribed local area where a wireless communication network service to which the user subscribes is provided, and a current local area where the user is currently receiving a wireless communication network service. The selected local area is displayed by distinguishing the selected local area from non-selected other local areas, a local time of the selected local area, and the user name from among the loaded user information. When displaying the user name, the phone number, the subscribed local area and the current local area are selectively displayed in addition to the user name.

Claims

1. A method for providing location-based contact information using a map, the method comprising:

displaying, at a wireless terminal, a plurality of areas on a map;

loading, at the wireless terminal, if one of the plurality of areas is selected, contact information associated each of a plurality of contacts corresponding to the selected area, the contact information associated with each contact comprising at least one of a name of a contact, a phone number of the contact, a subscribed area where a wireless communication network service is provided by a network service provider to which the contact subscribes, and a current area where the contact is currently receiving a wireless communication network service; and

displaying, at the wireless terminal, roaming information for each of the plurality of contacts corresponding to the selected area.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying at least a portion of the loaded contact information corresponding to the selected area.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the contacts comprise at least one of:

a user who subscribes to a wireless communication network service in the selected area and is currently using the wireless communication network service of the selected area;

a user who roams in the selected area using a wireless communication network of the selected area; and

a user who roams from the selected area, using a wireless communication network of the selected area, to another area using another wireless communication network of another area.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if one of the contacts displayed on the screen is selected, making a call to a phone number of the selected contact.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

acquiring the current area from location information corresponding to a contact'"'"'s current location that is transmitted from a location information server, wherein the location information corresponding to the contact'"'"'s current location is a Global Positioning System (GPS) signal.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein acquiring the current area corresponding to a contact'"'"'s current location comprises:

sending to the location information server a request for the contact'"'"'s current location, wherein the request comprises authentication information.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

updating the current area where the contact is currently receiving the wireless communication network service.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the selected area is re-selected, displaying a time of the selected area, and at least one of the name, the phone number, the subscribed area, the current area, and additional information for each of the plurality of contacts corresponding the selected area.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein loading the contact information corresponding to the selected area comprises:

loading the contact information associated with users who subscribe to a wireless communication network service in the selected area and are currently using the wireless communication network service of the selected area and users who roam in the selected area using a wireless communication network of the selected area.

10. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

acquiring the current area from location information corresponding to a contact'"'"'s current location that is transmitted from a location information server, wherein the location information corresponding to the contact'"'"'s current location is a Global Positioning System (GPS) signal.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication network services may be provided by different network service providers.

12. The method of claim 1, farther comprising displaying the subscribed area and the current area of each of the plurality of contacts.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the roaming information further comprises:

determining, at the wireless terminal, whether each of the plurality of contacts is in roaming state or not based on the subscribed area and the current area of each of the plurality of contacts; and

displaying the roaming information based on a result of determination.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the wireless terminal determines that a contact is in roaming state, if a subscribed area of the contact is different from a current area of the contact.

15. A system for providing location-based contact information using a map, comprising:

a touch displaying unit configured to display a plurality of areas on a map;

a touch inputting unit configured to detect that one of the plurality of areas is selected;

a storage unit configured to store contact information; and

a user information processor configured to load contact information associated with each of a plurality of contacts corresponding to the selected area, and display a roaming information for each of the plurality of contacts,

wherein the contact information associated with each contact comprises at least one of a name of a contact, a phone number of the contact, a subscribed area where a wireless communication network service is provided, by a network service provider to which the contact subscribes, and a current area where the contact is currently receiving a wireless communication network service.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the user information processor is further configured to display at least a portion of the loaded contact information corresponding to the selected area.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the contacts comprise at least one of:

a user who subscribes to a wireless communication network service in the selected area and is currently using the wireless communication network service of the selected area;

a user who roams in the selected area using a wireless communication network of the selected area; and

a user who roams from the selected area, using a wireless communication network of the selected area, to another area using another wireless communication network of other area.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a data processor configured to acquire, if one of the contacts displayed on the screen is selected, a phone number of the selected other portable terminal user from the user information processor and to create a message to request call connection to the acquired phone number; and

a radio frequency (RF) communication unit configured to transmit the message.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a contact information configuring unit configured to receive the name, the phone number, and the subscribed area of a contact, create the contact information, acquire the current area from location information corresponding to the contact'"'"'s current location that is transmitted from a location information server, where the location information corresponding to the user'"'"'s current location is a Global Positioning System (GPS) signal, and include the current area in the contact information.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the contact information configuring unit acquires the current area corresponding to a contact'"'"'s current location by sending to the location information server a request for the contact'"'"'s current location, wherein the request comprises authentication information.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the data processor updates the contact information in the storage unit with the current area where the contact is currently receiving the wireless communication network service.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein if the selected area is re-selected, the contact information processor displays a time of the selected area, and at least one of the name of the contact, the phone number of the contact, the subscribed area, and the current area, and additional information for each of the plurality of contacts corresponding the selected area.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the contact information processor loads the contact information corresponding to the selected area by loading the contact information associated with users who subscribe to a wireless communication network service in the selected area and are currently using the wireless communication network service of the selected area and users who roam the selected area using a wireless communication network of the selected area.

24. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a contact information configuring unit configured to receive the name, the phone number, and the subscribed area of a contact, create the contact information, acquire the current area from location information corresponding to the contact'"'"'s current location that is transmitted from a location information server, where the location information corresponding to the user'"'"'s current location is a Global Positioning System (UPS) signal, and include the current area in the contact information.

25. The system of claim 15, wherein the wireless communication network services may be provided by different network service providers.

26. The system of claim 15, wherein the user information processor is further configured to display the subscribed area and the current area of each of the plurality of contacts.

27. The system of claim 15, wherein the user information processor is further configured to determine whether each of the plurality of contacts is in roaming state or not based on the subscribed area and the current area of each of the plurality of contacts and display the roaming information based on a result of determination.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the user information processor determines that a contact is in roaming state, if a subscribed area of the contact is different from a current area of the contact.