Methods and apparatus for geo-collaboration

• US 7,904,241 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2010
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VID SCALE Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Information Patterns LLP
• Inventors: Coch, Gabriel, Smith, David Mark, Knight, Graham
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US12/781,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20100256902A1
• Time in Patent Office: 294 Days
• Field of Search: 701201-213, 701/300, 701/301, 701/96, 342/357.1, 342/357.08, 342/357.09, 342/357.01, 340989-993, 3409951-99512
• US Class Current: 701/208
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Methods and computer readable medium for collaborating on geographical maps between two or more computers are disclosed. In particular, sharing a geographical location on a map between two or more computers and co-navigating a map between two or more computers are disclosed. With respect to sharing a geographical location, the geographical location is retrieved to the first computer. The geographical location is added to the map being rendered at the first computer and is sent to a second computer. A map including the geographical location is rendered at the second computer. With respect to co-navigating, a map is displayed from a map perspective at the first computer. The map perspective is sent to the second computer. A map from the same map perspective being displayed at the first computer is rendered at the second computer.

Claims

1. A method of sharing geo-spatial information for a user on a map between a first computing device and a second computing device, the method comprising:

obtaining geographical location of the first computing device;

adding an object representing the user and the geographical location in a first map file having a plurality of layers, the first map file being rendered at the first computing device;

sending the object representing the user and the geographical location to the second computing device;

aggregating the object representing the user and the geographical location into a map file at the second computing device; and

rendering the map file including the object representing the user and the geographical location on a display of the second computing device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second computing devices are cell phones wirelessly connected to a network, the method further comprising:

displaying, at substantially the same time, the object and the geographical location at the first and second cell phones.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein further additional cell phones are connected to the network.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of obtaining the geographical location of the first computing device includes retrieving said geographical location utilizing a global positioning system (GPS).

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of obtaining the geographical location of the first computing device occurs before the second computing device connects to a network and the step of rendering occurs after the second computing device connects to the network.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of adding further comprises selection of adding the geographical location of the first computing device from a drop down menu.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein a user of the first computing device is designated as a leader and a user of the second computing device is designated as a follower.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the follower can be selectively removed from sharing leader related information.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the first computing device is a mobile device and the method further comprises utilizing GPS tracking to track the location of the mobile device of the leader over time.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising displaying a trail for the location of the computing device of the leader.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying text associated with the geographical location in a map item pane on the display of the second computing device.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of obtaining comprises storing a text sent by a user of the first computing device indicating the user'"'"'s location.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of obtaining comprises receiving a broadcast sent by a user of the first computer device indicating the user'"'"'s location.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising rebroadcasting the user'"'"'s location to the second computer device.