Integration of map services and user applications in a mobile device

• US 9,109,904 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2008
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Forstall, Scott, Christie, Gregory N., Borchers, Robert E., Tiene, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): TISSOT, ADAM D
• Application Number:
  US12/020,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20090005981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,762 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/414.2, 455/440, 455/456.3, 701/408, 701/409, 701/211, 701/468, 701/482, 701/523, 701/520
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• 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

Abstract

A location is specified, e.g., a current location of a mobile device or a user-specified location. A representation of the location is represented on a map displayed by the mobile device. A set of contacts having a corresponding address in proximity to the location is determined. A graphical representation of the set of contacts is provided on the map proximate to the one or more corresponding addresses. If the location is a current location of a mobile device, the map can be updated in response to the current location changing with a representation of an updated current location and a representation of an updated set of contacts.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a graphical representation of a first location of a mobile device in a first geographic area of a map displayed on the mobile device, the first geographic area covering a plurality of first street or postal addresses;

determining a first set of one or more contacts each having a corresponding street or postal address within the first geographic area of the map, where a contact corresponds to contact information for an entity included in an address book and the contact information includes at least a name and street or postal address in the address book associated with the entity;

providing a graphical representation of the first set of one or more contacts in the first geographic area proximate to the one or more corresponding street or postal addresses from the address book wherein each graphical representation of the one or more contacts in the first set remains fixed to each street or postal address from the address book;

in response to a user interaction with the graphical representation on the map of a contact from the first set of contacts, displaying information related to the contact, wherein the information is superimposed on the displayed first geographic area;

receiving user input adjusting a scale for the displayed first geographic area;

in response to the user input, determining a second geographic area of the map based on the adjusted scale, wherein a size of the second geographic area is larger or smaller than a size of the first geographic area, the second geographic area covering a plurality of second street or postal addresses;

determining, using the address book, a second set of one or more contacts each having a corresponding street or postal address within the second geographic area; and

displaying the second geographic area in place of the first geographic area, including displaying the graphical representation of the first location of the mobile device and a graphical representation of the second set of one or more contacts in the second geographic area wherein each graphical representation of the one or more contacts in the second set remains fixed to each street or postal address from the address book.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to the user interaction with a graphical representation of a contact, obtaining a page from an address book, the address book including the contact information corresponding to the contact and displaying the page from the address book.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the page from the address book is displayed in a first portion of a display of the mobile device and the map is displayed in a second portion of the display, and the first and second portions are displayed simultaneously on the display.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the page from the address book replaces the map on the display, the method further comprising:

in response to a second user interaction with the page of the address book, replacing the page from the address book with the map.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device includes a telephony application and the contact information includes a telephone number for the entity, the method further comprising:

providing a prompt to a user inquiring whether the telephone number corresponding to one of the one or more contacts should be called; and

in response to receiving a user input to call the telephone number, employing the telephony application to call the telephone number.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device includes a telephony application and the contact information includes a telephone number for the entity, the method further comprising:

providing a user control wherein a user can select a control to call the telephone number corresponding to one of a set of contacts; and

receiving a user input selecting the control and in response to the user input employing the telephony application to call the telephone number.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device includes an email application and the contact information includes an email address for the entity, the method further comprising:

providing a prompt to a user inquiring whether the user desires to compose an email message to the email address corresponding to one of a set of contacts; and

in response to receiving a user input indicating a desire to compose an email message addressed to the email address, employing the email application to compose a draft email message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device includes an email application and the contact information includes an email address for the entity, the method further comprising:

providing a user control wherein a user can select the control to compose an email message to the email address corresponding to one of a set contacts; and

receiving a user input selecting the control and in response to said user input employing the email application to allow the user to compose a draft email message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device includes a short messaging service application, the method further comprising:

providing a prompt to a user inquiring whether the user desires to send a short message corresponding to one of a set of contacts; and

in response to receiving a user input indicating a desire to send a short message to the contact, employing the short messaging service application to allow the user to compose the short message.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device includes a short messaging service application, the method further comprising:

providing a user control wherein a user can select the control to send a short message corresponding to one of a set of contacts; and

receiving a user input selecting the control and in response to said user input employing the short messaging service application to allow the user to compose the short message.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a second user interaction with the graphical representation of one of the first set of contacts, the contact corresponding to a second geographic location; and

providing route information indicating a route from the first location to the second geographic location.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein providing route information comprises displaying the route on the map.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein providing route information comprises displaying directions for following the route from the first location to the second geographic location.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-interaction with the graphical representation of the contact comprises a user interaction touching a touch-sensitive display that is displaying the graphical representation of the contact.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least some information related to the contact and not related to the current location of the mobile device comprises a telephone number.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein a first result is generated in response to a single tap user interaction, and a second result is generated in response to a sustained touch user interaction.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the first result is a graphical display of a balloon superimposed on the map, the balloon displaying abbreviated contact information for the contact, and the second result is an address book page display of a complete set of contact information for the contact.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the abbreviated contact information display includes a telephone number that is a user-selectable link to invoke the telephone number in response to a user selecting the link.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the address book page display includes a list of groups of contacts associated with the contact.

32. The method of claim 12, wherein one or more graphical representations of one or more business entity contacts having a geographic location in proximity to the route are displayed on the map.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein a first business contact has a first geographic location in the route and a second other contact has a second geographic location in the route vicinity, and wherein graphical representations of the first business contact, the second other contact, and one or more other businesses determined to be located within the vicinity of the route and the vicinity of the second geographic location are displayed on the map along the route.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the first business contact and the second other contact are associated in the address book, and graphical representations of the first business contact and the second other contact are displayed together with the route on the map.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the second other contact is automatically invited to meet the user at the first business contact.

36. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a first set of one or more contacts each having a corresponding street or postal address within the first geographic area of the map comprises:

for each contact in the first set, retrieving a street or postal address included in the address book; and

determining that the retrieved street or postal address is included in the plurality of first street or postal addresses covered by the first geographic area.

37. The method of claim 1, wherein a street or postal address is a static address.

14. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors;

memory coupled to the one or more processors and configured to store instructions, which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

providing a graphical representation of a first location of the apparatus in a first geographic area of a map displayed on the apparatus, the first geographic area covering a plurality of first street or postal addresses;

determining a first set of one or more contacts each having a corresponding address located within the first geographic area, where a contact corresponds to contact information for an entity included in an address book and the contact information includes at least a name and a street or postal address in the address book associated with the entity;

providing a graphical representation of the first set of one or more contacts in the first geographic area proximate to the one or more corresponding street or postal addresses from the address book wherein each graphical representation of the one or more contacts in the first set remains fixed to each street or postal address from the address book;

in response to a user interaction with the graphical representation on the map of a contact from the first set of contacts, displaying information related to the contact, wherein the information is superimposed on the displayed first geographic area;

receiving user input adjusting a scale for the displayed first geographic area;

 

in response to the user input, determining a second geographic area of the map based on the adjusted scale, wherein a size of the second geographic area is larger or smaller than a size of the first geographic area, the second geographic area covering a plurality of second street or postal addresses;

determining, using the address book, a second set of one or more contacts each having a corresponding street or postal address within the second geographic area; and

displaying the second geographic area in place of the first geographic area, including displaying the graphical representation of the first location of the apparatus and a graphical representation of the second set of one or more contacts in the second geographic area wherein each graphical representation of the one or more contacts in the second set remains fixed to each street or postal address from the address book.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a positioning system operable to obtain a current location of the apparatus.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, where the contact information includes a telephone number for the entity, the apparatus further comprising:

a telephony application operable to call the telephone number corresponding to a contact included in an address book in response to a user selecting a graphical representation of the contact displayed on the map.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, where the contact information includes an email address for the entity, the apparatus further comprising:

an email application operable to initiate an email message addressed to the email address corresponding to a contact included in an address book in response to a user selecting a graphical representation of the contact displayed on the map.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a short messaging service application operable to initiate a short message directed to a contact included in an address book in response to a user selecting a graphical representation of the contact displayed on the map.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

an engine operable to provide a graphical display on the map of a route from the current location to a location corresponding to a contact that is graphically represented on the map, in response to a user selecting the graphical representation of the contact displayed on the map.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the display is a touch-sensitive display and the user interaction with the graphical representation of the contact comprises a user interaction touching the touch-sensitive display.

23. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the information related to the contact and not related to the current location of the apparatus comprises a telephone number.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein a first result is generated in response to a single tap user interaction, and a second result is generated in response to a sustained touch user interaction.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the first result is a graphical display of a balloon superimposed on the map, the balloon displaying abbreviated contact information for the contact, and the second result is an address book page display of a complete set of contact information for the contact.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the abbreviated contact information display includes a telephone number that is a user-selectable link to invoke the telephone number in response to a user selecting the link.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the address book page display includes a list of groups of contacts associated with the contact.

38. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein determining a first set of one or more contacts each having a corresponding street or postal address within the first geographic area of the map comprises:

for each contact in the first set, retrieving a street or postal address included in the address book; and

determining that the retrieved street or postal address is included in the plurality of first street or postal addresses covered by the first geographic area.

39. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein a street or postal address is a static address.