Method and system for providing location-based user information via a map

• US 20110111770A1
• Filed: 10/28/2010
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kocharlakota, Sridhar
• Granted Patent: US 9,185,183 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information

Abstract

A method and system for providing location-based user information using a map is disclosed. The method includes displaying a plurality of local areas on a map. If one of the plurality of local areas is selected, user information corresponding to the selected local area is loaded, where the user information contains a name of a user, a phone number of the user, a subscribed local area where a wireless communication network service to which the user subscribes is provided, and a current local area where the user is currently receiving a wireless communication network service. The selected local area is displayed by distinguishing the selected local area from non-selected other local areas, a local time of the selected local area, and the user name from among the loaded user information. When displaying the user name, the phone number, the subscribed local area and the current local area are selectively displayed in addition to the user name.

Claims

1. A method for providing location-based contact information using a map, the method comprising:

displaying a plurality of local areas on a map;

loading, if one of the plurality of local areas is selected, contact information of contacts corresponding to the selected local area; and

displaying the selected local area by distinguishing the selected local area from other unselected local areas, a local time of the selected local area, and a subset of the loaded contact information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact information comprises a name of a contact, a phone number of the contact, a subscribed local area where a wireless communication network service to which the contact subscribes is provided, and a current local area where the contact is currently receiving a wireless communication network service.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the subset of the loaded contact information comprises the name of the contact and at least one of the phone number of the contact, the subscribed local area, and the current local area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the contacts comprise at least one of:

a user who subscribes to a wireless communication network service in the selected local area and is currently using the wireless communication network service of the selected local area;

a user who roams in the selected local area using a wireless communication network of the selected local area; and

a user who roams from the selected local area, using a wireless communication network of the selected local area, to another local area using another wireless communication network of another local area.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if one of the contacts displayed on the screen is selected, making a call to a phone number of the selected contact.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

acquiring the current local area from location information corresponding to a contact'"'"'s current location that is transmitted from a location information server, wherein the location information corresponding to the contact'"'"'s current location is a Global Positioning System (GPS) signal.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein acquiring the current local area corresponding to a contact'"'"'s current location comprises:

sending to the location information server a request for the contact'"'"'s current location, wherein the request comprises authentication information.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

updating the current local area where the contact is currently receiving the wireless communication network service.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the selected local area is re-selected, displaying the local time of the re-selected local area and the loaded contact information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein loading the contact information corresponding to the selected local area comprises:

loading the contact information of users who subscribe to a wireless communication network service in the selected local area and are currently using the wireless communication network service of the selected local area and users who roam in the selected local area using a wireless communication network of the selected local area.

11. A system for providing location-based contact information using a map, comprising:

a touch displaying unit configured to display a plurality of local areas on a map;

a touch inputting unit configured to detect that one of the plurality of local areas is selected;

a storage unit configured to store contact information; and

a user information processor configured to load contact information of contacts corresponding to the selected local area and display the selected local area, by distinguishing the selected local area from non-selected other local areas, a local time of the selected local area, and a subset of the loaded contact information.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the contact information comprises a name of a contact, a phone number of the contact, a subscribed local area where a wireless communication network service to which the contact subscribes is provided, and a current local area where the contact is currently receiving a wireless communication network service.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the subset of the loaded contact information comprises the name of the contact and at least one of the phone number of the contact, the subscribed local area, and the current local area.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the contacts comprise at least one of:

a user who subscribes to a wireless communication network service in the selected local area and is currently using the wireless communication network service of the selected local area;

a user who roams in the selected local area using a wireless communication network of the selected local area; and

a user who roams from the selected local area, using a wireless communication network of the selected local area, to another local area using another wireless communication network of other local area.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a data processor configured to acquire, if one of the contacts displayed on the screen is selected, a phone number of the selected other portable terminal user from the user information processor and to create a message to request call connection to the acquired phone number; and

a radio frequency (RF) communication unit configured to transmit the message.

16. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a contact information configuring unit configured to receive the name, the phone number, and the subscribed local area of a contact, create the contact information, acquire the current local area from location information corresponding to the contact'"'"'s current location that is transmitted from a location information server, where the location information corresponding to the user'"'"'s current location is a Global Positioning System (GPS) signal, and include the current local area in the contact information.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the contact information configuring unit acquires the current local area corresponding to a contact'"'"'s current location by sending to the location information server a request for the contact'"'"'s current location, wherein the request comprises authentication information.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the data processor:

updates the contact information in the storage unit with the current local area where the contact is currently receiving the wireless communication network service.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein if the selected local area is re-selected, the contact information processor displays the local time of the re-selected local area and the loaded contact information.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the contact information processor loads the contact information corresponding to the selected local area by loading the contact information of users who subscribe to a wireless communication network service in the selected local area and are currently using the wireless communication network service of the selected local area and users who roam the selected local area using a wireless communication network of the selected local area.