Displaying dynamic content on a map based on user's location and scheduled task

• US 9,449,407 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2013
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Bailiang, Zhou, Brawer, Sascha Benjamin
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Sarah
• Application Number:
  US13/736,608
• Publication Number:
  US 20140192056A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,351 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

Graphic elements for a computer-implemented mapping system may be displayed based on scheduled task data, routine data, or other data corresponding to an application of a client computing device. The application data may include a location and a scheduled time. A user may request a map for the scheduled task location. If a difference between the request time and the scheduled task time is below a threshold, then the mapping system may display or modify graphic elements for the location that are relevant to the scheduled task. For example, a user may include appointment data for an airline flight in a calendar application of a mobile computing device. If the user requests a map of the departure airport within a short amount of time before the flight, the map may include only relevant graphic elements such as a check in counter, a security checkpoint, and a departure gate.

Claims

1. A method for displaying graphic elements on a digital map based on application data generated or received by an application executing on a client computing device, the method comprising:

receiving a user mapping request for a digital map on the client computing device;

sending a mapping data request, corresponding to the user mapping request, from the client computing device via a network connection, the mapping data request including a geographic location and corresponding to a current time;

receiving, in response to the mapping data request, mapping data for generating a standard map image corresponding to the geographic location, wherein the mapping data includes a plurality of graphic elements that represent the geographic location;

retrieving application data generated or received by an application executing on the client computing device, wherein the application data includes an application data time, scheduled task data indicating a scheduled task, and an application data location, wherein the mapping data request geographic location corresponds to the application data location;

determining a difference between the application data time and the current time;

automatically modifying, without receiving a new user mapping request, the received mapping data to generate a customized map image, including selecting for display or modifying an appearance of one or more graphic elements from the received mapping data that are relevant to the scheduled task based on the retrieved application data and the difference between the application data time and the current time; and

displaying the modified mapping data on the client computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the difference between the application data time and the current time includes determining that the difference between the application data time and the current time is below a threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the scheduled task data includes a scheduled task of a calendar application executing on the client device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the modified mapping data on the client computing device includes displaying only the relevant graphic elements within the customized map image.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the scheduled task data includes an airline reservation and the relevant graphic elements include one or more graphic elements representing a rental car return, a check in, a security checkpoint, and a gate.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving user preference data, wherein the relevant graphic elements correspond to the retrieved user preference data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the application data includes user routine data and modifying the received mapping data based on the retrieved application data includes modifying the received mapping data based on the retrieved user routine data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the appearance of one or more graphic elements includes applying a visual style to vector data describing the one or more graphic elements.

9. A method for generating mapping data for display at a client computing device based on application data corresponding to an application executing on a client computing device, the method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors at a current time, a mapping data request from a client computing device via a network connection, the mapping data request including a geographic location and application data generated or received by the application executing on the client computing device, wherein the application data includes;

(i) an indication of a scheduled task,

(ii) an indication of time corresponding to the scheduled task, and

(iii) an indication of a location corresponding to the scheduled task;

retrieving mapping data in vector format for generating a default map image corresponding to the geographic location;

determining that a difference between the application data time and the current time is below a threshold;

in response to determining that the difference is below the threshold and without receiving a new mapping request from the client computing device;

identifying features at the geographic location that are relevant specifically to the scheduled task, and

modifying the retrieved mapping data to generate modified mapping data for generating a customized map image in which the identified features are displayed or modified in appearance;

sending the modified mapping data to the client computing device via the network connection.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the scheduled task is retrieved of a calendar application executing on the client device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein generating the modified mapping data includes generating the modified mapping data that includes only the relevant graphic elements.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the scheduled task data includes an airline reservation and the relevant graphic elements include one or more graphic elements representing a rental car return, a check in, a security checkpoint, and a gate.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving user preference data from the client computing device via the network, wherein the relevant graphic elements correspond to the retrieved user preference data.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising retrieving user routine data and modifying the retrieved mapping data based on the received application data includes modifying the retrieved mapping data based on the retrieved user routine data.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein modifying the appearance of one or more graphic elements includes applying a visual style to vector data describing the one or more graphic elements.

16. A system for displaying graphic elements for mapping data of a digital map based on application data, the system comprising:

a user task system including a processor and memory, the memory storing user scheduled task data that is generated or received by an application executing on a client computing device, wherein the user scheduled task data includes a task time and a task location;

a mapping system including a processor and a memory, the memory storing mapping data that includes a plurality of graphic elements to represent a geographic location using a mapping application of a client computing device, the memory further storing instructions for execution by the mapping system processor to;

receive a user mapping request for a digital map on the client computing device;

receive a mapping data request, corresponding to the user mapping request, from the client computing device via a network connection, the mapping data request including a geographic location and a current time, wherein the mapping data request geographic location corresponds to the task location;

retrieve mapping data that corresponds to the mapping data request geographic location;

determine that a difference between the task time and the current time is below a threshold;

identify features at the geographic location that are relevant specifically to the scheduled task;

automatically modify, without receiving a new user mapping request, the retrieved mapping data to generate modified mapping data for generating a customized map image in which the identified features are displayed or modified in appearance; and

send the modified retrieved mapping data to the client computing device via the network connection.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein to modify the appearance of one or more graphic elements, the instructions apply a visual style to vector data describing the one or more graphic elements.