Location-aware mobile device

• US 9,414,198 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2015
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Forstall, Scott, Christie, Gregory N., Borchers, Robert E., Chaudhri, Imran A., Mahowald, Peter Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Schwartz, Joshua
• Application Number:
  US14/745,638
• Publication Number:
  US 20150289106A1
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4566
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2477 for selecting a function from a menu display H04M1/2474 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• 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 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

One or more location-based clients can be activated on a mobile device for providing location-based services. The location-based clients can be provided with information (e.g., presets, defaults) related to the current location and/or mode of the mobile device. The information can be obtained from one or more network resources. In some implementations, a number of location-based clients can run concurrently on the mobile device and share information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

activating a first location-based client for execution on a mobile device;

determining a location of the mobile device;

controlling the first location-based client to present, on a first user interface of the first location-based client, visual indications associated with the determined location of the mobile device;

receiving, through the first user interface of the first location-based client, a first user input corresponding to a first visual indication;

in response to receiving the first user input, transmitting information corresponding to the first user input to a network resource;

receiving, from a network resource, information that includes first content associated with the first location-based client and second content associated with a second location-based client;

in response to receiving the information from the network resource;

controlling the first location-based client to present, on the first user interface, the first content associated with the first location-based client that is included in the received information; and

controlling the second location-based client to present, on a second user interface associated with the second location-based client, the second content associated with the second location-based client that is included in the received information,

wherein the first content is presented on the first user interface concurrently with presenting the second content on the second user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the location of the mobile device comprises:

obtaining a current location of the mobile device as the mobile device travels along a route;

determining a direction of travel of the mobile device;

estimating future locations of the mobile device based on the current location and the direction of travel of the mobile device;

receiving, from the network resource, location-based content associated with the route travelled by the mobile device, wherein the location-based content includes information associated with at least one of the current location and the estimated future locations of the mobile device; and

controlling at least one of the first location-based client or the second location-based client to present the location-based content associated with the route as the mobile device travels along the route.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the location of the mobile device comprises:

obtaining the location of the mobile device as the mobile device travels along a route;

determining a segment of the route that a vehicle associated with the mobile device is moving through;

receiving, from the network resource, location-based content associated with the route travelled by the mobile device, wherein the location-based content includes vehicle-related information corresponding to the segment of the route for the vehicle associated with the mobile device; and

controlling at least one of the first location-based client or the second location-based client to present vehicle-related information corresponding to the determined segment of the route.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first location-based client includes a map service and wherein the visual indications associated with the determined location of the mobile device include placemarks on a map associated with the determined location of the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving the first user input selecting the first visual indication comprises receiving the first user input selecting a placemark on the map associated with the determined location of the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving the first user input selecting the first visual indication comprises:

receiving, in a search box, a user input corresponding to a search term.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the first content associated with the first location-based client includes information about one or more of restaurants, lodging, parks, picnic areas, or businesses associated with the determined location of the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the second location-based client includes a directory, and wherein the second content includes information about one or more of restaurants, lodging, parks, picnic areas, or businesses associated with the determined location of the mobile device.

9. A mobile device comprising:

a network interface;

one or more processors coupled to the network interface;

memory coupled to the one or more processors and configured to store instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

activating a first location-based client;

determining a location of the mobile device;

controlling the first location-based client to present, on a first user interface of the first location-based client, visual indications associated with the determined location of the mobile device;

receiving, through the first user interface of the first location-based client, a first user input corresponding to a first visual indication;

in response to receiving the first user input, transmitting information corresponding to the first user input to a network resource;

receiving, from the network resource, information that includes first content associated with the first location-based client and second content associated with a second location-based client;

in response to receiving the information from the network resource;

controlling the first location-based client to present, on the first user interface, the first content associated with the first location-based client that is included in the received information; and

controlling the second location-based client to present, on a second user interface associated with the second location-based client, the second content associated with the second location-based client that is included in the received information,

wherein the first content is presented on the first user interface concurrently with presenting the second content on the second user interface.

10. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein at least one of the first content or the second content comprises one or more of video, music, spoken or text content associated with the location of the mobile device.

11. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein determining the location of the mobile device comprises:

obtaining a current location of the mobile device as the mobile device travels along a route;

determining a direction of travel of the mobile device;

estimating future locations of the mobile device based on the current location and the direction of travel of the mobile device;

receiving, from the network resource, location-based content associated with the route travelled by the mobile device, wherein the location-based content includes information associated with at least one of the current location and the estimated future locations of the mobile device; and

controlling at least one of the first location-based client or the second location-based client to present the location-based content associated with the route as the mobile device travels along the route.

12. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein determining the location of the mobile device comprises:

obtaining the location of the mobile device as the mobile device travels along a route;

determining a segment of the route that a vehicle associated with the mobile device is moving through;

receiving, from the network resource, location-based content associated with the route travelled by the mobile device, wherein the location-based content includes vehicle-related information corresponding to the segment of the route for the vehicle associated with the mobile device; and

controlling at least one of the first location-based client or the second location-based client to present vehicle-related information corresponding to the determined segment of the route.

13. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the vehicle-related information includes one or more of recommended driving speeds or suggested gear positions associated with specific road segments.

14. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the location-based content includes information associated with at least one of a current location and estimated future locations of the mobile device, and wherein the instructions are configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations further comprising:

controlling at least one of the first location-based client or the second location-based client to present the information associated with at least one of a current location and estimated future locations of the mobile device as the mobile device travels along the route.

15. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations further comprising:

obtaining real time data associated with operation of the vehicle; and

adjusting the vehicle-related information that is presented for a remaining portion of the route based on the obtained real time data.

16. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the first location-based client includes a map service and wherein the visual indications associated with the determined location of the mobile device include placemarks on a map associated with the determined location of the mobile device.

17. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein receiving the first user input selecting the first visual indication comprises receiving the first user input selecting a placemark on the map associated with the determined location of the mobile device.

18. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein receiving the first user input selecting the first visual indication comprises:

receiving, in a search box, a user input corresponding to a search term.

19. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the first content associated with the first location-based client includes information about one or more of restaurants, lodging, parks, picnic areas, or businesses associated with the determined location of the mobile device.

20. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the second location-based client includes a directory, and wherein the second content includes information about one or more of restaurants, lodging, parks, picnic areas, or businesses associated with the determined location of the mobile device.