Mashing mapping content displayed on mobile devices

• US 9,532,164 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2013
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nearby Systems LLC (Empire IP LLC)
• Original Assignee: Empire IP LLC
• Inventors: Rueben, Steven L., Jakobson, Gabriel
• Primary Examiner(s): ABDUL-ALI, OMAR R
• Application Number:
  US13/987,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20150038161A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,242 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods
• 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 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A method and apparatus for mapping addressable information (e.g. locations denoted by name or address, street addresses, landmarks, etc.) off of disparate applications on a mobile device, onto an existing map on the mobile device, are disclosed. An application on a mobile device may display addressable information (e.g. a website displaying a location name and/or address, an email containing an address, etc.) In response to a user'"'"'s selecting the addressable information and invoking a mapping command, a map-display application (e.g. Google Maps®, Yahoo! Maps®, Windows Live Search Maps®, MapQuest®, iPhone® maps, Waze® etc.) may be automatically presented (e.g. launched, become visible, displayed, etc.) displaying the addressable information in addition to at least one prior mapping content previously displayed by the map-display application.

Claims

1. A system for displaying location-based content on a digital map displayed on a mobile device, comprising:

a storage device of a mobile device storing a first non-browser application and a second non-browser application;

a processor of the mobile device executing the first non-browser application and the second non-browser application;

a user interface of the first non-browser application configured for the mobile device;

a mapping component of the first non-browser application configured to invoke the second non-browser application on the mobile device when map-able content displayed on the user interface is activated to display a map of the map-able content, wherein the second non-browser application is a mapping application, wherein the mapping component transmits the map-able content to an online mapping service configured to communicate with the second non-browser application.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the mapping component transmits the map-able content to the second non-browser application when invoking the second non-browser application.

3. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an operating system on the mobile device configured to completely hide the user interface of the first non-browser application when the second non-browser application is invoked.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first non-browser application is one of a social network application, an email application and an instant message application.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the mapping component includes a function from an application programming interface of an operating system of the mobile device.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the mapping component includes a function from an application programming interface of the mapping application.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the mapping component includes a first function from a first application programming interface of an operating system of the mobile device and a second function from a second application programming interface of the mapping application.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the mapping application automatically displays at least one of traffic and driving directions associated with the map-able content when the mapping application is displayed.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the mapping application automatically displays at least one of a user review and a user-rating associated with the map-able content.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions for execution by a processor, the instructions performing the method of:

displaying a user interface of a first non-browser application on a display of a mobile device;

invoking, by a mapping component of the first non-browser application, a second non-browser application on the mobile device when map-able content displayed on the user interface is activated to display a map of the map-able content, wherein the second non-browser application is a mapping application, wherein the mapping component transmits the map-able content to an online mapping service configured to communicate with the second non-browser application.