Map Version Control Methods And Apparatus For Updating The Use Of Network-Maintained Map Data Sets For Mobile Communication Devices

• US 20110300848A1
• Filed: 08/19/2011
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Boudreau, Jesse Joseph, Johnson, Eric, Klassen, Gerhard Dietrich
• Granted Patent: US 9,091,555 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3878 Hierarchical structures, e.g. layering
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3896 Transmission of map data from central databases
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

A method in a mobile device for use in receiving updates of network-maintained map data sets is described. The mobile device receives, through a wireless network, map data for rendering a map. The map data has a plurality of layers, where each of the plurality of layers includes a version number and a plurality of data entries associated therewith. Each of the plurality of data entries indicates a plurality of data points for rendering one or more artifacts or labels within an area of interest of the map. The mobile device stores the map data, and displays the area of interest from the plurality of layers of the stored map data. The mobile device then receives, through the wireless network, an indication of an alternative version of one of the layers of the stored map data. When the version number of the alternative version is greater than the version number of the stored version, the mobile device causes one or more requests for the alternative version of said layer for the area of interest to be sent through the wireless network. The mobile device also receives the alternative version of said layer for the area of interest through the wireless network in response to the one or more requests. The mobile device also then causes the map of the area of interest to be rendered in the display in accordance with the combined plurality of layers of the stored map data, but with use of the alternative version of said layer.

Claims

1. A method in a mobile device for use in receiving updates of network-maintained map data sets, the method comprising:

receiving, at the mobile device through a wireless network, map data for rendering a map, the map data having a plurality of layers, each of the plurality of layers including a version number and a plurality of data entries associated therewith, each of the plurality of data entries indicating a plurality of data points for rendering one or more artifacts or labels within an area of interest of the map;

storing the map data;

displaying the area of interest at the mobile device from the plurality of layers of the stored map data;

receiving, through the wireless network, an indication of an alternative version of one of the layers of the stored map data; and

when the version number of the alternative version is greater than the version number of the stored version;

causing one or more requests for the alternative version of said layer for the area of interest to be sent through the wireless network, receiving the alternative version of said layer for the area of interest through the wireless network in response to the one or more requests, and causing the map of the area of interest to be rendered in the display in accordance with the combined plurality of layers of the stored map data but with use of the alternative version of said layer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the version number of the alternative version is less than or equal to the version number of the stored version;

refraining from causing the one or more requests for the alternative version of said layer for the area of interest to be sent through the wireless network, and continuing to cause the map to be rendered in the display in accordance with the plurality of layers of the stored map data but without use of the alternative version of said layer.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an acceptance or declination from the user that the alternative version of said layer is to be requested and permitting the one or more requests only when acceptance is received.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the map rendered using the alternative version of said layer includes one or more map objects that are unavailable in the map rendered using the stored version.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the map rendered using the alternative version of said layer provides one or more map objects that are unavailable in the map rendered using the stored version.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the map rendered using the alternative version of said layer provides an appearance that is different from the appearance of the map rendered using the stored version.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the acceptance is identified, then storing the alternative version of said layer to replace the stored version of said corresponding layer.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying one of an acceptance or a declination of the alternative version by receiving the acceptance or declination via a user interface of the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying one of an acceptance or a declination by identifying a stored configuration setting for a mapping application of the mobile device used for rending the maps in the visual display based on the map data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device comprises a cellular telephony device operative for communications in the wireless network which comprises a cellular telecommunications network.

11. The method of claim 1, which is embodied in a computer program product comprising a computer readable medium and computer instructions stored on the computer readable medium which are executable by one or more processors of a mobile communication device for performing the method.

12. A mobile device, comprising:

a wireless transceiver;

one or more processors;

a cache memory coupled to the one or more processors;

a user interface which includes a visual display;

the one or more processors being configured to;

receive, via the wireless transceiver from one or more network databases, map data for rendering a map, the map data having a plurality of layers of map data, each of the plurality of layers including a version number and a plurality of data entries associated therewith, of the plurality of data entries indicating a plurality of data points for rendering one or more artifacts or labels within an area of interest of the map;

cause the map data to be stored in the cache memory;

displaying the area of interest in the visual display from the plurality of layers of the stored map data;

receive, via the wireless transceiver, an indication of an alternative version of one of the layers of the stored map data; and

if the version number of the alternative version is greater than the version number of the stored version cause one or more requests for the alternative version of said layer for the area of interest to be sent via the wireless transceiver, receive the alternative version of the said layer for the area of interest from the one or more network databases via the wireless transceiver in response to the one or more requests, and cause the map of the area of interest to be rendered in the visual display in accordance with the combined plurality of layers of the stored map data but with use of the alternative version of said layer.

13. The mobile device of claim 12, the one or more processors being further configured to:

if the version number of the alternative version is less than or equal to the version number of the stored version, refrain from causing one or more requests for the alternative version of said layer for the area of interest to be sent via the wireless transceiver, and continue to cause the map to be rendered in the visual display in accordance with the plurality of layers of the stored map data but without use of the alternative version of said layer.

14. The mobile device of claim 12, arranged to receive an acceptance or declination from the user that the alternative version of said layer is to be requested, such that the one or more requests are only sent when acceptance is received.

15. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

if the acceptance is identified, then storing the alternative version of said layer in the cache memory to replace the stored version of said corresponding layer.

16. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are configured to identify one of an acceptance or a declination of the alternative version by receiving the acceptance or declination by an end user through a user interface of the mobile communication device.

17. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are configured to identify one of an acceptance or a declination of the alternative version by identifying a stored configuration setting for a mapping application of the mobile communication device used for rending the maps.

18. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the map rendered using the alternative version of said layer includes one or more map objects that are unavailable in the map rendered using the stored version.

19. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the map rendered using the alternative version of said layer provides one or more map objects that are unavailable in the map rendered using the stored version.

20. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the mobile device comprises a cellular telephony device operative for communications in the wireless network which comprises a cellular telecommunications network.