US 7,751,971 B2 · Location mapping for key-point based services

Abstract

A “Proxi-Mapper” combines location based services (LBS), local searching capabilities, and relative mapping in a way that minimizes bandwidth requirements and maximizes user experience. The Proxi-Mapper automatically determines approximate locations of one or more local user devices (cell phones, PDA's, media players, portable computing devices, etc.) and returns a lightweight model of local entities (“key-points”) representing businesses, services or people to those devices. Key-points are maintained in one or more remote databases in which key-points are assigned to predetermined grid sections based on the locations of the corresponding entities. Metadata associated with the key-points provides the user with additional information relating to the corresponding entities. In various embodiments, user query options allow the Proxi-Mapper to pull or push relevant local key-point based information to user devices via one or more wired or wireless networks.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system for providing one or more mobile user devices with locally relevant information, comprising:

automatically determining an approximate position of at least one user device;
reporting the approximate position to a remote server;
querying a database of geographic points of interest to identify a set of one or more geographic points of interest within a predetermined distance from the approximate position of the at least one user device;
wherein each geographic point of interest has been assigned to a predetermined grid section approximately corresponding to a known physical location of that geographic point of interest;
returning the set of one or more geographic points of interest to one or more of the user devices;
rendering a grid-based display of the grid sections which illustrates graphical representations of each of the returned geographic points of interest on a display device of one or more of the user devices, wherein a representation of each geographic point of interest is rendered in a corresponding one of the rendered grid sections;
and
wherein a representation of the approximate position is rendered in one of the grid sections corresponding to the approximate position of the at least one user device.

5 more elements

A method for dynamically providing location-based service information to a user device, comprising;

dynamically determining a current geographic position of a user device, said current geographic position being periodically updated over time;
determining a current set of possible location-based services within a known distance of the geographic position of the user device, said current set of possible location-based services being updated whenever the current geographic position of the user device is updated;
providing a subset of available location-based services to the user device from the current set of possible location-based services, said subset of available location-based services being updated whenever the current geographic position of the user device is updated;
assigning each available location-based service a grid section corresponding to a physical location of each of those location-based services;
rendering a grid-based display on the user device comprising the grid sections for providing a graphical representation of each available location-based service in a corresponding one of the rendered grid sections;
and
rendering a representation of the approximate position of the user device in one of the grid sections corresponding to the approximate position of the user device.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Location mapping for key-point based services

Life of this patent

Location mapping for key-point based services

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20