GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE FOR PRESENTING LOCATION INFORMATION

• US 20090177385A1
• Filed: 01/06/2008
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Christie, Gregory N., Matas, Mike, Blumenberg, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 8,355,862 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3614 through interaction with a road map, e.g. selecting a POI icon on a road map
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3664 Details of the user input interface, e.g. buttons, knobs or sliders, including those provided on a touch screen; remote controllers; input using gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0263 by combining or switching between positions derived from two or more separate positioning systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for presenting location information. A first geographic area in which a device is currently located is estimated using a first positioning system. A second geographic area in which the device is currently located is estimated using a second positioning system. A first map view including an indication of the first geographic area on the first map view is presented if the first geographic area is contained within the second geographic area. A second map view including an indication of the second geographic area is presented if the first geographic area is not contained within the second geographic area.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

estimating a first geographic area in which a device is currently located using a first positioning system;

estimating a second geographic area in which the device is currently located using a second positioning system;

presenting a first map view including an indication of the first geographic area on the first map view if the first geographic area is contained within the second geographic area; and

presenting a second map view including an indication of the second geographic area if the first geographic area is not contained within the second geographic area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first positioning system is associated with a first level of positional accuracy, and the second positioning system is associated with a second level of positional accuracy that is lower than the first level of accuracy.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein estimating a first geographic area in which a device is currently located using a first positioning system comprises:

using the first positioning system to estimate a current position of the device and an error region associated with and at least partially surrounding the estimated current position, wherein the first geographic area comprises the estimated error region.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein estimating a second geographic area in which the device is currently located using a second positioning system comprises:

using the second positioning system to estimate a current position of the device and an error region associated with and at least partially surrounding the estimated current position, wherein the second geographic area comprises the estimated error region.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if the indication of the first geographic area is presented:

generating route information for a route, wherein an endpoint of the route is a centroid of the first geographic area; and

presenting the route information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if the indication of the second geographic area is presented:

generating route information for a route, wherein an endpoint of the route is a centroid of the second geographic area; and

presenting the route information.

7. A mobile device comprising:

a display;

one or more processors; and

a computer-readable medium storing instructions for execution by the one or more processors, the instructions comprising instructions to;

estimate a first geographic area in which a device is currently located using a first positioning system;

estimate a second geographic area in which the device is currently located using a second positioning system;

present a first map view including an indication of the first geographic area on the first map view if the first geographic area is contained within the second geographic area; and

present a second map view including an indication of the second geographic area if the first geographic area is not contained within the second geographic area.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the first positioning system is associated with a first level of positional accuracy, and the second positioning system is associated with a second level of positional accuracy that is lower than the first level of accuracy.

9. The device of claim 7, further comprising instructions to:

use the first positioning system to estimate a current position of the device and an error region associated with and at least partially surrounding the estimated current position, wherein the first geographic area comprises the estimated error region.

10. The device of claim 7, further comprising instructions to:

use the second positioning system to estimate a current position of the device and an error region associated with and at least partially surrounding the estimated current position, wherein the second geographic area comprises the estimated error region.

11. The device of claim 7, further comprising instructions to:

generate route information for a route, wherein an endpoint of the route is a centroid of the first geographic area; and

present the route information.

12. The device of claim 7, further comprising instructions to:

generate route information for a route, wherein an endpoint of the route is a centroid of the second geographic area; and

present the route information.

13. A computer program product, encoded on a tangible program carrier, operable to cause a portable device to perform operations comprising:

estimating a first geographic area in which a device is currently located using a first positioning system;

estimating a second geographic area in which the device is currently located using a second positioning system;

presenting a first map view including an indication of the first geographic area on the first map view if the first geographic area is contained within the second geographic area; and

presenting a second map view including an indication of the second geographic area if the first geographic area is not contained within the second geographic area.

14. A method comprising:

presenting a map view;

receiving user input requesting an arbitrary position marker; and

presenting the map view with the arbitrary position marker placed at an arbitrary position on the map view.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving user input moving the arbitrary position marker; and

positioning the arbitrary position marker at a new position based on the user input.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

generating route information for a route, wherein an endpoint of the route is a position on the map view indicated by the arbitrary position marker; and

presenting the route information.

17. A method comprising:

presenting a map view on a first virtual graphical layer;

receiving a request to present other content;

presenting a flipped-page graphical effect with respect to the map view, the flipped-page effect simulating a partial peeling of the first virtual graphical layer to reveal a second virtual graphical layer; and

presenting the other content on the second virtual graphical layer.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the other content comprises a menu associated with the map view.

19. A method comprising:

presenting a map view; and

presenting an indication of a region on the map view, wherein the region represents a geographic area in which a device is located.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the region is the entirety of the map view, and the indication comprises a shape enclosing the map view.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the region is a portion of the map view.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the indication comprises one or more circles surrounding the region.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the indication further comprises one or more crosshairs.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein a thickness of a respective one of the circles is a function of a zoom level of the map view.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the region is presented in a first color shade and a portion of the map view outside of the region is presented in a second color shade.

26. A graphical user interface comprising:

a map view; and

an indication of a region on the map view, the region representing a geographic area in which a device is located, wherein the indication comprises a circle and one or more crosshairs.