Methods and apparatus for providing map locations in user applications using URL strings

• US 8,788,604 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2012
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• 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, Dicke, Ronald Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): DWIVEDI, MAHESH H
• Application Number:
  US13/451,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20120204089A1
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 707/920, 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9558 Details of hyperlinks; Management of linked annotations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/3025 Domain name generation or assignment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/919 Geographic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/92 Navigation

Abstract

Techniques for use in a wireless communication device for displaying a map are described. The device receives via a user interface a selection of a hypertext link object in an electronic file or message. The object is associated with a URL string which includes a server address and location data corresponding to a location. When a mapping application is installed in the device, the device executes the mapping application for rendering a map of the location in response to receiving the selection of the object. When the mapping application is not installed in the device, the device executes a web browser of the device for receiving and displaying a map image of the location in response to receiving the selection of the object.

Claims

1. A method in a wireless communication device for use in displaying a map, the wireless communication device including a user interface comprising a display, the method comprising:

receiving a message that refers to a map location;

displaying the message comprising the message containing a hypertext link object within the message wherein the hypertext link object is the only link to the map location in the message wherein the hypertext link object is the only link to the map location in the message;

receiving, via the user interface, a selection of the hypertext link object, the hypertext link object being associated with a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) string which comprises a server address and location data corresponding to the map location; and

in response to receiving the selection of the hypertext link object,

when a trigger to invoke an associated mapping application provided on the device is identified from the URL string associated with the selected hypertext link object, executing the associated mapping application and displaying a map of the map location corresponding to the location data; and

when the trigger is not identified from the URL string associated with the selected hypertext link object, executing a web browser application of the wireless communication device for receiving and displaying a map of the map location corresponding to the location data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the web browser application for receiving and displaying the map further comprises:

sending a request to a server identified by the server address;

receiving a map image in response to the request; and

displaying the map image.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the associated mapping application for displaying the map further comprises:

identifying whether map data corresponding to the location data in the URL string is available in a memory of the device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

if the map data is not stored in the memory, sending a request to a map server.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

registering a URL hook associated with the mapping application if the mapping application is installed in the device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

searching the URL string for the trigger.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recognizing at least a portion of the URL string as the trigger when the trigger to invoke an associated mapping application is identified from the URL string.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein recognizing at least a portion of the URL string comprises recognizing a URL hook associated with the URL string.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein searching the URL string for the trigger is performed when the mapping application is installed in the device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the hypertext link object is a representation of the URL string.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the hypertext link object is selected from the group comprising an icon, graphics or text.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the location data comprises latitude and longitude coordinates corresponding to the location.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the web browser application for receiving and displaying the map further comprises receiving data to display a link to download and install the mapping application.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the map comprises a bitmap image.

15. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium;

computer instructions stored in the non-transitory computer readable medium;

the computer instructions being executable by one or more processors of a wireless communication device for use in displaying a map, by;

receiving a message that refers to a map location;

displaying the message comprising the message containing a hypertext link object within the message wherein the hypertext link object is the only link to the map location in the message wherein the hypertext link object is the only link to the map location in the message;

receiving, via a user interface, a selection of the hypertext link object, the hypertext link object being associated with a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) string which comprises a server address and location data corresponding to the map location; and

in response to receiving the selection of the hypertext link object,

when a trigger to invoke an associated mapping application provided on the device is identified from the URL string associated with the selected hypertext link object, executing the associated mapping application and displaying a map of the map location corresponding to the location data; and

when the trigger is not identified from the URL string associated with the selected hypertext link object, executing a web browser application of the wireless communication device for receiving and displaying a map of the map location corresponding to the location data.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the code for executing the web browser application for receiving and displaying the map further comprises code for:

sending a request to a server identified by the server address;

receiving a map image in response to the request; and

displaying the map image.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the code for executing the associated mapping application for displaying the map further comprises code for identifying whether map data corresponding to the location data in the URL string is available in a memory of the device.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising code for recognizing at least a portion of the URL string as the trigger when the trigger to invoke an associated mapping application is identified from the URL string.

19. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the hypertext link object is a representation of the URL string.

20. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the hypertext link object is selected from the group comprising an icon, graphics or text.

21. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the location data comprises latitude and longitude coordinates corresponding to the location.

22. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the code for executing the web browser application for receiving and displaying the map further comprises code for receiving data to display a link to download and install the mapping application.

23. A wireless communication device, comprising:

one or more processors;

a wireless transceiver coupled to the one or more processors;

memory coupled to the one or more processors;

a user interface comprising a display;

the one or more processors being configured to;

receive a message that refers to a map location;

display the message comprising the message containing a hypertext link object within the message wherein the hypertext link object is the only link to the map location in the message wherein the hypertext link object is the only link to the map location in the message;

receive, via the user interface, a selection of the hypertext link object, the hypertext link object being associated with a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) string which comprises a server address and location data corresponding to the map location; and

in response to receiving the selection of the hypertext link object,

when a trigger to invoke an associated mapping application is identified from the URL string associated with the selected hypertext link object, execute the associated mapping application and displaying a map of the map location corresponding to the location data; and

when the trigger is not identified from the URL string associated with the selected hypertext link object, execute a web browser application of the wireless communication device for receiving and displaying a map of the map location corresponding to the location data.

24. The wireless communication device of claim 23, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the web browser application for receiving and displaying the map by sending a request to a server identified by the server address;

receiving a map image in response to the request; and

displaying the map image.

25. The wireless communication device of claim 23, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the associated mapping application for displaying the map by identifying whether map data corresponding to the location data in the URL string is available in a memory of the device.

26. The wireless communication device of claim 25, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to send a request to a map server if the map data is not stored in the memory.

27. The wireless communication device of claim 23, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to register a URL hook associated with the mapping application if the mapping application is installed in the device.

28. The wireless communication device of claim 23, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to search the URL string for the trigger.

29. The wireless communication device of claim 23, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to recognize at least a portion of the URL string as the trigger when the trigger to invoke an associated mapping application is identified from the URL string.

30. The wireless communication device of claim 29, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to recognize at least a portion of the URL string by recognizing a URL hook associated with the URL string.

31. The wireless communication device of claim 29, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to search the URL string for the trigger when the mapping application is installed in the device.

32. The wireless communication device of claim 23, wherein the hypertext link object is a representation of the URL string.

33. The wireless communication device of claim 23, wherein the hypertext link object is selected from the group comprising an icon, graphics or text.

34. The wireless communication device of claim 23, wherein the location data comprises latitude and longitude coordinates corresponding to the location.

35. The wireless communication device of claim 23, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the web browser application for receiving and displaying the map by receiving data to display a link to download and install the mapping application.