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US 7,742,774 B2Granted
Location-based text messaging
AssigneeVirgin Mobile USA, L.P.
InventorsSeung June Oh, Minah Oh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and device is provided for transmitting location-based text messages between electronic devices. A mobile electronic device can determine a device's location, create a map of that location, create a text message, embed the map in the text message and transmit the text message to a recipient. The device can also transmit or create navigational directions and update the map and the directions in real time.
Claims5
A method for sending a location-based text message, the method comprising the steps of:
- determining a geographic location of a first mobile electronic device by a process on the mobile electronic device;
- receiving a geographic location of a second mobile electronic device;
- generating a map of the first mobile electronic device's geographic location and of the second mobile device's geographic location;
- receiving a text input via an input interface of the first mobile electronic device;
- creating a text message based on the received text input;
- combining the map with text message at the first mobile electronic device;
- launching an application at the first mobile electronic device to display the map, wherein the application updates the map in real time to show movements of the first and second mobile electronic devices;
- and
- transmitting the combined map and text message to the second mobile electronic device responsive to a request from a user received via the input interface of the first mobile electronic device, wherein the second mobile electronic device is configured to launch an application to display the map to show the location of the first mobile electronic device and the location of the second mobile electronic device, and wherein the application at the second mobile electronic device is configured to update the map automatically in real time to show movements of the sending and receiving devices.
6 more elements
A device for sending and receiving location-based messaging comprising:
- a display;
- an input interface;
- a wireless transmitter and receiver;
- a Global Positioning System receiver configured to determine a geographic location of the device;
- and
- a processor,
- wherein the processor is configured to:
- create a map of the device's location based on the geographic location determined by the GPS receiver,
- receive a geographic location of a recipient device,
- add the recipient device's location to the map,
- receive a text input via the input interface,
- create a text message based on the received text input,
- combine the map and the text message,
- launch an application at the first mobile electronic device to display the map, wherein the application updates the map in real time to show movements of the first and second mobile electronic devices, and
- transmit the combined map and text message to a recipient mobile electronic device upon a user's request, wherein the recipient device is configured to launch an application to display the transmitted map to show the location of the sending device and the location of the recipient device, and wherein the application at the recipient device is configured to update the map automatically in real time to show movements of the sending and recipient devices.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.