System and method for displaying dynamic text content with a digital map

• US 9,410,815 B1
• Filed: 03/20/2015
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Hirano, Takahito, Suematsu, Koichi, Szczepanski, Pawel, Foo, Peter, Kozai, Kaori, Kawaguchi, Ryo, Goto, Masanori, Kosakai, Takahiro, Kaneko, Naoto, Campbell, Taj J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunn, Alex C
• Application Number:
  US14/664,602
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: 701/527
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3453 Special cost functions, i.e. other than distance or default speed limit of road segments
• 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 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635

Abstract

An entry point card displayed within a mapping application viewport may display context and other data based on a calendar appointment and other data that the user might, predictably, want to search for upon opening the mapping application. Using appointment information from a calendar application, an entry point card might display a time the user must leave his current location in order to make the appointment on time. Or, using a history of the user'"'"'s routine errands or trips, the entry point card may display predicted information. For example, the card may display an amount of time to get to work or other information.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for integrating information related to an appointment displayed on a client computing device, the method comprising:

retrieving, by one or more processors, a current geographic location of the client computing device;

retrieving, by one or more processors, appointment data generated or received by an application executing on the client computing device, the appointment data including an appointment time and an appointment location;

determining, by one or more processors, whether a time difference between the appointment time and a current time is below a threshold;

determining, by one or more processors, at least a travel time from the current geographic location to the appointment location using (i) the time difference, (ii) the current geographic location and (iii) the appointment location; and

sending, by one or more processors, an indication of travel time to the client computing device for generating an automatic notification via a user interface of the client computing device.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, from the client computing device, a request for mapping data via a network connection; and

in response to the received request, sending to the client computing device map data for generating a digital map for the current geographic location of the client computing device.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the appointment data further includes a scheduled appointment of a calendar application executing on one or more processors.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a response to a mapping request from the client computing device, a map server retrieves and sends map data to a mapping module;

and

the mapping module processes the current geographic location of the client computing device and displays the current geographical location on the client computing device.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving weather conditions for the current geographic location; and

displaying weather conditions for the current geographic on client computing device.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising displaying on the client user device the time the user must leave the current geographical location in order to arrive at the appointment location on time.

2. A method for displaying graphic elements on a digital map based on application data generated or received by an application executing on a client computing device, the method comprising:

sending, by one or more processors, a mapping data request from the client computing device via a network connection, the mapping data request including a current geographic location of the client computing device and a request time;

receiving, by one or more processors in response to the mapping data request, mapping data corresponding to the current geographic location, wherein the mapping data includes a plurality of graphic elements that represent the current geographic location;

retrieving, by one or more processors, appointment data generated or received by an application executing on the client computing device, the appointment data including an appointment time and an appointment location,

determining, by one or more processors, whether a time difference between the appointment time and the request time is below a threshold; and

determining, by one or more processors, mapping application context data using (i) the time difference, (ii) the current geographic location and (iii) the appointment location, wherein the mapping application context includes an indication of travel time to the appointment location.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user appointment data further includes a scheduled appointment of a calendar application executing on the client computing device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the mapping application context data includes one or more of an indication of travel time to an appointment corresponding to one or more graphic elements that represent the current geographic location.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying a modified mapping data on the client computing device.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein displaying the modified mapping data on the client computing device includes modifying text within an entry point card or an omnibox displayed within a viewport of the mapping application.

7. A system for integrating information related to an appointment displayed on a client computing device, the system comprising:

an appointment data system including a processor and memory, the appointment data that is at least partially generated or received by an application executing on a client computing device, wherein the appointment data includes an appointment time and an appointment location;

an appointment data system server including a processor and a memory, the memory storing appointment data using an appointment application of a client computing device, the memory further storing instructions for execution by an appointment system processor to;

retrieve a current geographic location of the client computing device;

retrieve appointment data generated or received by an application executing on the client computing device, the appointment data including an appointment time and an appointment location;

determine whether a time difference between the appointment time and a current time is below a threshold;

determine at least a travel time from the current geographic location to the appointment location using (i) the time difference, (ii) the current geographic location and (iii) the appointment location; and

send an indication of travel time to the client computing device for generating an automatic notification via a user interface of the client computing device.

8. A system for generating mapping application context data for display at a client computing device based on appointment data, the system comprising:

an appointment data system including a processor and memory, the memory storing user scheduled appointment data, wherein the user scheduled appointment data is generated or received by an application executing on a client computing device and includes an appointment time and an appointment location, and;

a mapping system including a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions to represent a geographic location with data received from a mapping server, the memory further storing instructions for execution by the mapping system processor to;

send a mapping data request from the client computing device via a network connection to the remote mapping server, the mapping data request including a current geographic location of the client computing device and a request time;

receive in response to the mapping data request, mapping data corresponding to the current geographic location, wherein the mapping data includes a plurality of graphic elements that represent the current geographic location;

receive appointment data, generated or received by an application executing on the client computing device, the appointment data including an appointment time and appointment location;

determine whether a time difference between the appointment time and the request time is below a threshold; and

determine mapping application context data using (i) the time difference, (ii) the current geographic location and (iii) the appointment location, wherein the mapping application context includes an indication of travel time to the appointment location.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the appointment data includes an appointment time and an appointment location, the instructions to determine the difference between an application data time and the request time include instructions to determine that the difference between the application data time and the request time is below a threshold, and the user appointment data further includes a scheduled appointment of a calendar application executing on the client device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions to determine the mapping application data includes one or more of an indication of travel time to an appointment corresponding to one or more graphic elements that represent the current geographic location.