Making address book a source of latitude and longitude coordinates

• US 9,495,384 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2014
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Ngo, Ngoc Bich, Yach, David Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): WENG, PEI YONG
• Application Number:
  US14/468,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20140365447A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location

Abstract

A method for determining latitude and longitude coordinates for geographic addresses input into an address book on a mobile device is provided. For each geographic address received for storing in a contact record, latitude and longitude coordinates are automatically determined and associated with the geographic address in a database of contact records. In some embodiments, for each geographic address to be input, the method first searches existing contact records for the geographic address and if the latitude and longitude coordinates for the geographic address are in an existing contact record, the contact record for the contact is cross-referenced to the existing record for accessing the latitude and longitude coordinates.

Claims

1. A method, in a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving a non-geocoded geographic address for storing in a contact record of a database of contact records on the mobile device;

without user initiation, determining latitude and longitude coordinates to be stored in association with the geographic address, wherein determining the latitude and longitude coordinates comprises requesting the latitude and longitude coordinates from a location server over a wireless network;

wherein determining the latitude and longitude coordinates further comprises;

receiving a suggestion for corrections to the geographic address from the location server if the geographic address is not recognized as valid by the location server;

receiving an indication of merit along with the suggestion for corrections, the indication of merit indicating a likelihood that the suggestion is accurate;

updating the geographic address based on the suggestion if the indication of merit indicates a certain accuracy; and

receiving latitude and longitude coordinates for the updated geographic address from the location server; and

storing the received latitude and longitude coordinates in the database in association with the updated geographic address.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the latitude and longitude coordinates further comprises requesting the latitude and longitude coordinates from a location database.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the latitude and longitude coordinates comprises first searching existing contact records in the database of contact records for the geographic address and if the latitude and longitude coordinates for the geographic address are in an existing contact record, cross-referencing the contact record to the existing contact record for accessing the latitude and longitude coordinates.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a location of the geographic address on a map using a map application executing on the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying the geographic address as a point of interest (POI).

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising producing a user perceptible alert to indicate that the mobile device is within a specified proximity of the geographic address.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the latitude and longitude coordinates in the database comprises storing the latitude and the longitude in the contact record for the geographic address.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising a map application on the mobile device accessing the latitude and longitude coordinates from the database of contact records.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the latitude and longitude coordinates in a cache memory on the mobile device for use by a map application on the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding the contact record to the database of contact records.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting latitude and longitude coordinates for a plurality of geographic addresses in the database of contact records.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an indication from the location server that the geographic address is incorrect, presenting a user interface providing user input options for correcting the geographic address, receiving an input from the user interface indicating a corrected address and updating any contact record comprising the geographic address with the corrected address.

13. A mobile device comprising:

a user interface configured to receive a non-geocoded geographic address for storing in a contact record of a database of contact records on the mobile device;

a memory for storing the database;

a look up component configured to determine latitude and longitude coordinates to be stored in association with the geographic address upon receipt of the geographic address;

wherein determining the latitude and longitude coordinates comprises;

requesting the latitude and longitude coordinates from a location server over a wireless network;

receiving a suggestion for corrections to the geographic address from the location server if the geographic address is not recognized as valid by the location server;

receiving an indication of merit along with the suggestion for corrections, the indication of merit indicating a likelihood that the suggestion is accurate;

updating the geographic address based on the suggestion if the indication of merit indicates a certain accuracy; and

receiving latitude and longitude coordinates for the updated geographic address from the location server; and

storing the received latitude and longitude coordinates in the database in association with the updated geographic address.

14. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the user interface is a receiver for receiving communications over a wireless network.

15. The mobile device of claim 13, further comprising a cache memory for use by a map application in which the latitude and longitude coordinates can be temporarily stored.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon that when executed by a computer implement the method steps of:

receiving a non-geocoded geographic address for storing in a contact record of a database of contact records on the mobile device;

without user initiation, determining latitude and longitude coordinates to be stored in association with the geographic address, wherein determining the latitude and longitude coordinates comprises requesting the latitude and longitude coordinates from a location server over a wireless network;

wherein determining the latitude and longitude coordinates further comprises;

receiving a suggestion for corrections to the geographic address from the location server if the geographic address is not recognized as valid by the location server;

receiving an indication of merit along with the suggestion for corrections, the indication of merit indicating a likelihood that the suggestion is accurate;

updating the geographic address based on the suggestion if the indication of merit indicates a certain accuracy; and

receiving latitude and longitude coordinates for the updated geographic address from the location server; and

storing the received latitude and longitude coordinates in the database in association with the updated geographic address.