System and method for indicating user location and facing direction on a digital map

A computer system for indicating user location and compass direction on a digital map, the system comprising:

• a client computing device including a memory storing instructions for execution on a client computing device processor including:
• a mapping module to send a mapping data request indicating a geographic area;
• a location module to send a location request determine a current location of the client computing device;
• and
• a compass module to determine a compass direction of the client computing device;
• a mapping server including a memory storing instructions for execution on a mapping server processor to receive the mapping data request from the client computing device, and send mapping data to the client computing device in response to the mapping data request;
• and
• a location server including a memory storing instructions for execution on a location server processor to receive the location request, retrieve location data corresponding to a location of the client computing device, and send the location to the client computing device;
• wherein the client computing device mapping module further includes instructions for execution on the client computing device processor to receive the map data from the mapping server in response to the mapping data request, receive the location from the location server in response to the location request, and render a digital map of the geographic area at the client computing device, the rendered digital map including both the client computing device location and the client computing device compass direction within a digital map of the geographic area.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for indicating client computing device location and compass direction on a digital map, the instructions comprising:

• requesting map data from a remote mapping system server using a client computing device, the request including a geographic area;
• receiving the map data from the remote mapping system at the client computing device in response to the request;
• determining a user location and a user compass direction at the client computing device;
• and
• rendering both the user location and the user compass direction within a digital map of the geographic area at the client computing device.