Systems, devices, and methods for sharing geographic location

• US 10,237,692 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2017
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tencent Technology Company Limited (Tencent Holdings Limited)
• Original Assignee: Tencent Technology Company Limited (Tencent Holdings Limited)
• Inventors: Shan, Yi, Chen, Pinlin, Zhuo, Dacheng, Wu, Liang, Li, Ling, Wang, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Sams, Matthew C
• Application Number:
  US15/676,528
• Publication Number:
  US 20170366939A1
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

The present disclosure provides system and methods for a sharing geographic location. A local terminal may be configured to display a map interface including a graphic indicator. The graphic indicator may correspond to a remote geographic location of a remote terminal. The local terminal may be further configured to receive a selection signal directed at the graphic indicator to track the remote terminal. In response to the signal, the local terminal may repeatedly receive a geographic location information update corresponding to the remote terminal. The geographic location information update may include an updated geographic location of the remote terminal. In addition, the local terminal may update a travel route indicative of a path between the updated geographic location of the remote terminal and a target geographic location. The terminal may display the travel route on the map interface in real time.

Claims

1. A system comprising a processor, the processor configured to:

display, on a local terminal, a map interface including a graphic indicator, the graphic indicator corresponding to a remote geographic location of a first remote terminal;

receive a selection signal directed at the graphic indicator to track the first remote terminal;

in response to the selection signal;

repeatedly receive a geographic location information update corresponding to the first remote terminal, the geographic location information update including an updated geographic location of the first remote terminal,

update, in response to receipt of the geographic location information update, a first travel route indicative of a path between the updated geographic location of the first remote terminal and a target geographic location, and

display the first travel route on the map interface in real time;

receive a geographic location of a second remote terminal; and

display a second travel route, the second travel route indicative of a traveling path between the target geographic location and the geographic location corresponding to the second remote terminal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

display a first indicator corresponding to a geographic location of the local terminal and a second indicator corresponding to the target geographic location, wherein the first indicator is separate from the second indicator.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the target geographic location comprises a geographic location of the local terminal and the graphic indicator comprises a first graphic indicator, wherein the processor is further configured to:

acquire the geographic location of the local terminal; and

display, on the map interface, a second graphic indicator corresponding to the geographic location of the local terminal.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the map interface is a first map interface, wherein the processor is further configured to display the second travel route on a second map interface, the second map interface being separate from the first map interface.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to display the first travel route and the second travel route on the map interface.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a sharing instruction from an instant communication social networking application on the local terminal; and

in response to the sharing instruction,

periodically communicate a geographic location of the local terminal to remote terminal, and

periodically receive the geographic location information update.

7. A method, comprising:

displaying, by a local terminal having a processor, a graphic indicator corresponding to a remote geographic location of a first remote terminal;

receiving a selection signal directed at the graphic indicator to track the first remote terminal;

receiving, in response to the selection signal, a geographic location information update corresponding to the first remote terminal, the geographic location information update including an updated geographic location of the first remote terminal;

determining, in response to receipt of the geographic location information update, a first travel route indicative of a path between the updated geographic location of the first remote terminal and a target geographic location;

displaying the first travel route on a map interface;

receiving a geographic location of a second remote terminal; and

display a second travel route, the second travel route indicative of a traveling path between the target geographic location and the geographic location corresponding to the second remote terminal.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the target geographic location comprises a predetermined geographic location separate from a geographic location of the local terminal.

9. The method of claim 7, the method further comprising:

receiving a sharing instruction from an instant communication social networking application on the local terminal; and

establishing a sharing session with a server in communication with the first remote terminal and the second remote terminal.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

logging on to a server configured to communicate with an instant communication social networking application on the local terminal; and

displaying, in response to the selection signal, profile information on the map interface, the profile information corresponding to the first remote terminal, the profile information comprising a picture associated with an account for the instant communication social networking application.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the selection signal is a first selection signal, the method further comprising:

identifying the target geographic location by receiving a second selection signal directed at a position on the map interface representative of the target geographic location.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of displaying the first travel route comprises at least one of displaying a textual description of the first travel route on the map interface or displaying highlights corresponding to respective streets along the first travel route.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

broadcasting an audio driving direction through a speaker, the audio driving direction corresponding to the first travel route.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions executable by a processor, the instructions comprising:

instructions executable by the processor to log on to a server in communication with a plurality of remote terminals;

instructions executable by the processor to display, on a map interface of an instant communication social networking application, graphical indicators corresponding to respective geographic locations of the remote terminals;

instructions executable by the processor to display respective travel routes for the remote terminals;

instructions executable by the processor to receive a tracking instruction from the map interface of the instant communication social networking application to track at least one of the remote terminals;

instructions executable by the processor to receive, in response to the tracking instruction, a geographic location information update corresponding to at least one of the remote terminals, the geographic location information update including an updated geographic location of the at least one of the remote terminals;

instructions executable by the processor to generate, in response to receipt of the geographic location information update, an updated travel route, the updated travel route indicative of a path between the updated geographic location of the at least one of the remote terminals and a target geographic location; and

instructions executable by the processor to display the updated travel route on the map interface.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14, further comprising:

instructions executable by the processor to display a graphical indicator corresponding to the at least one of the remote terminals;

instructions executable by the processor to receive a selection signal directed to the graphical indicator; and

instructions executable by the processor to display the updated travel route in response to receipt of the selection signal.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14, further comprising:

instructions executable by the processor to display a profile image at a position on the map interface corresponding to a geographic location of at least one of the remote terminals.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, further comprising:

instructions executable by the processor to receive a dragging operation directed to the map interface; and

instructions executable by the processor to hide the profile image and continue to display the updated travel route in response to receipt of the dragging operation.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14, further comprising:

instructions executable by the processor to display a first graphical indicator corresponding to the updated geographic location of at least one of the remote terminals and a second graphical indicator corresponding to a geographic location of a local terminal, wherein the first graphical indicator is separate from the second graphical indicator.