Dynamically controlling the presentation of a graphic feature based on location information

• US 9,615,208 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2014
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Fjeldsoe-Nielsen, Lars
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Chuong A
• Application Number:
  US14/536,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20160135006A1
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3827 Portable transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/14 with services dependent on location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

Abstract

A system and method of operating a mobile device is described. The mobile device can determine its current location and determine whether a location-based service, which can be requested by a user operating the mobile device, is available for use at the current location. In response to determining that the location-based service is unavailable for use at the current location, the mobile device can cause a graphic icon, that would otherwise be displayed one of one or more home pages on a display of the mobile device, to be hidden so that the graphic icon is not displayed with any of the one or more home pages. The graphic icon can correspond to a service application for use with the location-based service.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of a mobile computing device, causes the mobile computing device to:

determine a current location of the mobile computing device, the current location being determined by using at least a global positioning system (GPS) receiver of the mobile computing device or a transceiver of the mobile computing device;

determine, at a given instance, whether a location-based service, which can be requested by a user operating the mobile computing device, is available for use at the current location;

in response to determining that the location-based service is unavailable for use, cause a graphic icon, that would otherwise be displayed on one of one or more home pages on a display of the mobile computing device, to be hidden so that the graphic icon is not displayed with any of the one or more home pages, wherein the graphic icon, when displayed, is selectable to cause a service application to access the location-based service;

determine that the location-based service is available as a result of at least one of the mobile computing device changing the current location or a passage of time; and

in response to determining that the location-based service is available, cause the graphic icon to be displayed in order to enable access to the location-based service through the service application;

wherein the instructions are part of a set of instructions corresponding to the service application that is stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executed in response to an operating system being initiated on the mobile computing device.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executed in response to an operating system activating a cellular transceiver of the mobile computing device.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the mobile computing device to determine the current location of the mobile computing device by receiving information about the current location from a second application that is being operated on the mobile computing device, the second application having determined the current location using the GPS receiver or the transceiver.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the mobile computing device to determine the current location of the mobile computing device by receiving information about the current location from the GPS receiver, the GPS receiver determining the information about the current location in response to an operating system being initiated on the mobile computing device.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the mobile computing device to determine the current location of the mobile computing device by receiving information about the current location from the transceiver, wherein the transceiver corresponds to a cellular transceiver or a wireless network transceiver.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the mobile computing device to determine whether the location-based service is available at the current location by determining whether the current location is located in one or more predetermined geographic regions specified in a location database, the location database being stored with the set of instructions.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the mobile computing device to determine whether the location-based service is available at the current location by (i) transmitting, over one or more networks using a transceiver of the mobile computing device, information about the current location to a remote server, and (ii) receiving, from the remote server, availability information about the location-based service.

9. A mobile computing device comprising:

a display device;

a global positioning system (GPS) receiver;

a transceiver;

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the mobile computing device to;

determine a current location of the mobile computing device, the current location being determined by using at least the GPS receiver or the transceiver;

determine, at a given instance, whether a location-based service, which can be requested by a user operating the mobile computing device, is available for use at the current location;

in response to determining that the location-based service is unavailable for use, cause a graphic icon, that would otherwise be displayed on one of one or more home pages on the display, to be hidden so that the graphic icon is not displayed with any of the one or more home pages, wherein the graphic icon, when displayed, is selectable to cause a service application to access the location-based service;

determine that the location-based service is available as a result of at least one of the mobile computing device changing the current location or a passage of time; and

in response to determining the location-based service is available, cause the graphic icon to be displayed in order to enable access to the location-based service through the service application.

10. The mobile computing device of claim 9, wherein the instructions are executed by the processor as part of a boot-up process of the mobile computing device, the boot-up process being completed when one of the home pages are displayed on the display.

11. The mobile computing device of claim 9, wherein the transceiver corresponds to a cellular transceiver, wherein the display corresponds to a touch-sensitive display, and wherein the instructions are executed by the processor in response to the user providing input, via the touch-sensitive display, to change an operational setting of the mobile computing device from a first setting in which the cellular transceiver is disabled to a second setting in which the cellular transceiver is enabled.

12. The mobile computing device of claim 9, wherein the memory stores a set instructions corresponding to a second application, and wherein the instructions cause the mobile computing device to determine the current location of the mobile computing device by receiving information about the current location from the second application that is being operated on the mobile computing device.

13. The mobile computing device of claim 9, wherein the instructions cause the mobile computing device to determine the current location of the mobile computing device by receiving information about the current location from the GPS receiver, the GPS receiver determining the information about the current location in response to an operating system being initiated by the processor.

14. The mobile computing device of claim 9, wherein the instructions cause the mobile computing device to determine whether the location-based service is available at the current location by determining whether the current location is located in one or more predetermined geographic regions specified in a location database, the location database being stored with the instructions.

15. The mobile computing device of claim 9, wherein the instructions cause the mobile computing device to determine whether the location-based service is available at the current location by (i) transmitting, over one or more networks using a transceiver of the mobile computing device, information about the current location to a remote server, and (ii) receiving, from the remote server, availability information about the location-based service.

16. A method of operating a mobile computing device, the method comprising:

detecting that input has been provided via an input mechanism of the mobile computing device to power on the mobile computing device from an off state;

in response to detecting the input, initiating a boot-up process of the mobile computing device, including initiating an operating system of the mobile computing device;

after initiating the operating system, determining a current location of the mobile computing device, the current location being determined by using at least a global positioning system (GPS) receiver of the mobile computing device or a transceiver of the mobile computing device;

determining, at a given instance, whether a location-based service, which can be requested by a user operating the mobile computing device, is available for use at the current location;

in response to determining that the location-based service is unavailable for use, causing a graphic icon, that would otherwise be displayed on one of one or more home pages on a display of the mobile computing device, to be hidden so that the graphic icon is not displayed with any of the one or more home pages, wherein the graphic icon, when displayed, is selectable to cause a service application to access the location-based service;

determining that the location-based service is available as a result of at least one of the mobile computing device changing the current location or a passage of time; and

in response to determining that the location-based service is available, causing the graphic icon to be displayed in order to enable access to the location-based service through the service application;

wherein the service application is stored in a memory of the mobile computing device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein determining the current location includes receiving information about the current location from a second application that is being operated on the mobile computing device, the second application corresponding to a native application associated with the operating system and having been initiated after initiating the operating system.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein determining the current location includes receiving information about the current location from the GPS receiver, the GPS receiver determining the information about the current location in response to an operating system being initiated on the mobile computing device.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein determining whether the location-based service is available at the current location includes determining whether the current location is located in one or more predetermined geographic regions specified in a location database, the location database being stored with the service application.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein determining whether the location-based service is available at the current location includes (i) transmitting, over one or more networks using a transceiver of the mobile computing device, information about the current location to a remote server, and (ii) receiving, from the remote server, availability information about the location-based service.