PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-8738039-B2
Application Number: US-201213673915-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Location-based categorical information services

Abstract:
A selection of a category of interest and location information is used to determine categorical information that is provided to a device. In some implementations, the device includes a touch-sensitive display and presents the categorical information on a map using an indicator. In some implementations, the categorical information can be shared and/or updated by others.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 receiving, from a first device, a request for categorical information, the request specifying a category; 
 receiving, from a second device, a collection of shared categorical information; 
 determining relevant categorical information from the collection, the relevant categorical information comprising categorical data representative of a content item, wherein the categorical data is responsive to the category, and wherein the categorical data includes location information for the content item, wherein the location information satisfies a location-based conditional setting of the first device; and 
 providing, to the first device, the relevant categorical information for representation as a graphical object at a location in a map on a display, wherein the location corresponds to the location information. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the graphical object comprises a virtual push pin. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the location-based conditional setting specifies a proximity condition that the content item be located within a threshold distance from a position of the first device. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the location-based conditional setting specifies a condition that the content item be located within a geographical parameter of the map on the display. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the providing is automatic in response to the content item satisfying the location-based conditional setting. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the request comprises a selection of a manual update option on the first device. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second device sets access rights for the collection of shared categorical information, the access rights enabling sharing of the collection, and further comprising:
 authenticating the first device against the access rights to allow the first device to share the collection. 
 
     
     
       8. A method comprising:
 transmitting, by a device, a request for categorical information, the request specifying a category; 
 receiving, from an information service, relevant categorical information comprising categorical data representative of a content item, wherein the categorical data is responsive to the category, and wherein the categorical data includes location information for the content item, wherein the location information satisfies a location-based conditional setting of the device; and 
 displaying, by the device, a graphical object representing the content item at a location in a map on a display, wherein the location corresponds to the location information. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the graphical object comprises a virtual push pin. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 receiving a selection of the virtual push pin for a predetermined time period; 
 performing a first action in response to the predetermined time period being less than a threshold time period; and 
 performing a second action in response to the predetermined time period being greater than the threshold time period. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the first action comprises displaying contact information of the content item on the map, and wherein the second action comprises initiating a telephone call to the content item. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the location-based conditional setting specifies a proximity condition that the content item be located within a threshold distance from a position of the device. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the location-based conditional setting specifies a condition that the content item be located within a geographical parameter of the map on the display. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the displaying is automatic in response to the content item satisfying the location-based conditional setting. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the request comprises a selection of a manual update option on the device. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 setting access rights for a collection of categorical information to enable sharing of the collection; and 
 providing the collection to the information service for authenticating another device against the access rights to allow the another device to share the collection. 
 
     
     
       17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions that when executed cause an information service to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, from a first device, a request for categorical information, the request specifying a category; 
 receiving, from a second device, a collection of shared categorical information; 
 determining relevant categorical information from the collection, the relevant categorical information comprising categorical data representative of a content item, wherein the categorical data is responsive to the category, and wherein the categorical data includes location information for the content item, wherein the location information satisfies a location-based conditional setting of the first device; and 
 providing, to the first device, the relevant categorical information for representation as a graphical object at a location in a map on a display, wherein the location corresponds to the location information. 
 
     
     
       18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the graphical object comprises a virtual push pin. 
     
     
       19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the location-based conditional setting specifies a proximity condition that the content item be located within a threshold distance from a position of the first device. 
     
     
       20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the location-based conditional setting specifies a condition that the content item be located within a geographical parameter of the map on the display. 
     
     
       21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the providing is automatic in response to the content item satisfying the location-based conditional setting. 
     
     
       22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the request comprises a selection of a manual update option on the first device. 
     
     
       23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the second device sets access rights for the collection of shared categorical information, the access rights enabling sharing of the collection, and further comprising:
 authenticating the first device against the access rights to allow the first device to share the collection. 
 
     
     
       24. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions that when executed cause a device to perform operations comprising:
 transmitting, by a device, a request for categorical information, the request specifying a category; 
 receiving, from an information service, relevant categorical information comprising categorical data representative of a content item, wherein the categorical data is responsive to the category, and wherein the categorical data includes location information for the content item, wherein the location information satisfies a location-based conditional setting of the device; and 
 displaying, by the device, a graphical object representing the content item at a location in a map on a display, wherein the location corresponds to the location information. 
 
     
     
       25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 24 , wherein the graphical object comprises a virtual push pin. 
     
     
       26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 25 , further comprising:
 receiving a selection of the virtual push pin for a predetermined time period; 
 performing a first action in response to the predetermined time period being less than a threshold time period; and 
 performing a second action in response to the predetermined time period being greater than the threshold time period. 
 
     
     
       27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 26 , wherein the first action comprises displaying contact information of the content item on the map, and wherein the second action comprises initiating a telephone call to the content item. 
     
     
       28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 24 , wherein the location-based conditional setting specifies a proximity condition that the content item be located within a threshold distance from a position of the device. 
     
     
       29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 24 , wherein the location-based conditional setting specifies a condition that the content item be located within a geographical parameter of the map on the display. 
     
     
       30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 24 , wherein the displaying is automatic in response to the content item satisfying the location-based conditional setting. 
     
     
       31. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 24 , wherein the request comprises a selection of a manual update option on the device. 
     
     
       32. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 24 , further comprising:
 setting access rights for a collection of categorical information to enable sharing of the collection; and 
 providing the collection to the information service for authenticating another device against the access rights to allow the another device to share the collection. 
 
     
     
       33. A system comprising an information service having one or more data processors configured to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, from a first device, a request for categorical information, the request specifying a category of the first device; 
 receiving, from a second device, a collection of shared categorical information; 
 determining relevant categorical information from the collection, the relevant categorical information comprising categorical data representative of a content item, wherein the categorical data is responsive to the category, and wherein the categorical data includes location information for the content item, wherein the location information satisfies a location-based conditional setting of the first device; and 
 providing, to the first device, the relevant categorical information for representation as a graphical object at a location in a map on a display, wherein the location corresponds to the location information. 
 
     
     
       34. The system of  claim 33 , wherein the graphical object comprises a virtual push pin. 
     
     
       35. The system of  claim 33 , wherein the location-based conditional setting specifies a proximity condition that the content item be located within a threshold distance from a position of the first device. 
     
     
       36. The system of  claim 33 , wherein the location-based conditional setting specifies a condition that the content item be located within a geographical parameter of the map on the display. 
     
     
       37. The system of  claim 33 , wherein the providing is automatic in response to the content item satisfying the location-based conditional setting. 
     
     
       38. The system of  claim 33 , wherein the request comprises a selection of a manual update option on the first device. 
     
     
       39. The system of  claim 33 , wherein the second device sets access rights for the collection of shared categorical information, the access rights enabling sharing of the collection, and the operations further comprising:
 authenticating the first device against the access rights to allow the first device to share the collection. 
 
     
     
       40. A system comprising a mobile device having one or more processors configured to perform operations comprising:
 transmitting, by a device, a request for categorical information, the request specifying a category; 
 receiving, from an information service, relevant categorical information comprising categorical data representative of a content item, wherein the categorical data is responsive to the category, and wherein the categorical data includes location information for the content item, wherein the location information satisfies a location-based conditional setting of the device; and 
 displaying, by the device, a graphical object representing the content item at a location in a map on a display, wherein the location corresponds to the location information. 
 
     
     
       41. The system of  claim 40 , wherein the graphical object comprises a virtual push pin. 
     
     
       42. The system of  claim 41 , the operations further comprising:
 receiving a selection of the virtual push pin for a predetermined time period; 
 performing a first action in response to the predetermined time period being less than a threshold time period; and 
 performing a second action in response to the predetermined time period being greater than the threshold time period. 
 
     
     
       43. The system of  claim 42 , wherein the first action comprises displaying contact information of the content item on the map, and wherein the second action comprises initiating a telephone call to the content item. 
     
     
       44. The system of  claim 40 , wherein the location-based conditional setting specifies a proximity condition that the content item be located within a threshold distance from a position of the device. 
     
     
       45. The system of  claim 40 , wherein the location-based conditional setting specifies a condition that the content item be located within a geographical parameter of the map on the display. 
     
     
       46. The system of  claim 40 , wherein the displaying is automatic in response to the content item satisfying the location-based conditional setting. 
     
     
       47. The system of  claim 40 , wherein the request comprises a selection of a manual update option on the device. 
     
     
       48. The system of  claim 40 , the operations further comprising:
 setting access rights for a collection of categorical information to enable sharing of the collection; and 
 providing the collection to the information service for authenticating another device against the access rights to allow the another device to share the collection.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/127,505 filed May 27, 2008, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/946,825 filed Jun. 28, 2007, and entitled “LOCATION-BASED CATEGORICAL INFORMATION SERVICES,” the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The subject matter of this patent application is generally related to mobile devices. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Mobile devices have grown more powerful and feature-rich and now include such features as personal digital assistant (PDA) capabilities, cameras to capture video and still images, Internet access, etc. Location-based services have been developed for determining and tracking the locations of the users of mobile devices. Location-based services provide location-specific information to mobile devices, including for example, global positioning system (GPS) data to locate the mobile device on a map of a geographic region. 
     Some examples of location-based information include listings of events and sites of interest. A user wishing to gain this information can search the Internet, visit the local tourism office, or consult a travel guide or a local newspaper. However, these approaches require the user to actively search a resource, can be time-consuming, can provide outdated information, and can produce a large amount of information that may be of little interest to the user. 
     SUMMARY 
     Location-based information services can be provided to a user through a mobile device by providing categorical information from a network resource. The categorical information can be provided based on user preferences and/or a geographic location of the mobile device. Additionally, the user can provide location-based information to a network-based repository and/or service, where the user-provided information can be used to enrich information provided to other users. 
     In some implementations, a method includes: receiving first information associated with a category of interest from a mobile device; receiving second information identifying a geographic location of the mobile device; determining categorical information using the first information and the second information; and providing the categorical information to the mobile device as a data structure containing information used by the mobile device to represent the categorical information on a map by a graphical object. 
     In some implementations, a system includes a positioning system operable to obtain a current location of a mobile device, a data structure including a set of categorical information, and a map application operable to provide a display of a map. In some implementations, the map can include a graphical representation of an item in the set of categorical information, where the graphical representation can be displayed at a location corresponding to an address of the item. 
     In some implementations, a method includes: providing first information associated with a category of interest; providing second information associated with a location of a mobile device; receiving categorical information using the first information and the second information; receiving categorical information determined based on the first information and the second information; and displaying a map including graphical representations of one or more items in the categorical information, where the graphical representations are displayed at locations corresponding to addresses of the one or more items, and wherein the graphical representations are displayed based on a zoom level of the map. 
     Other implementations are disclosed, including implementations directed to systems, methods, apparatuses, computer-readable mediums and user interfaces. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an example mobile device. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of an example network operating environment for the mobile device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram of an example implementation of the mobile device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram of an example implementation of the information service block of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5A  illustrates an example of selecting categorical information for location-based information services. 
         FIG. 5B  illustrates an example of settings for categorical information provided to the mobile device. 
         FIGS. 6A and 6B  illustrate an example of a user interface that displays locations of items that satisfy a request for categorical information. 
         FIG. 6C  illustrates an example mobile device presenting a user interface on the touch sensitive display. 
         FIG. 7  is a flow diagram of an example process for providing categorical information to the mobile device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 8  is a flow diagram of an example process for selecting and sharing categorical information using the mobile device of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an example mobile device  100 . The mobile device  100  can be, for example, a handheld computer, a personal digital assistant, a cellular telephone, a network appliance, a camera, a smart phone, an enhanced general packet radio service (EGPRS) mobile phone, a network base station, a media player, a navigation device, an email device, a game console, or other electronic device, a combination of any two or more of these data processing devices or other data processing devices. 
     Mobile Device Overview 
     In some implementations, the mobile device  100  includes a touch-sensitive display  102 . The touch-sensitive display  102  can implement liquid crystal display (LCD) technology, light emitting polymer display (LPD) technology, or some other display technology. The touch-sensitive display  102  can be sensitive to haptic and/or tactile contact with a user. 
     In some implementations, the touch-sensitive display  102  can comprise a multi-touch-sensitive display  102 . A multi-touch-sensitive display  102  can, for example, process multiple simultaneous touch points, including processing data related to the pressure, degree and/or position of each touch point. Such processing facilitates gestures and interactions with multiple fingers, chording, and other interactions. Other touch-sensitive display technologies can also be used, e.g., a display in which contact is made using a stylus or other pointing device. Some examples of multi-touch-sensitive display technology are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,323,846, 6,570,557, 6,677,932, and U.S. Patent Publication 2002/0015024A1, each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     In some implementations, the mobile device  100  can display one or more graphical user interfaces on the touch-sensitive display  102  for providing the user access to various system objects and for conveying information to the user. In some implementations, the graphical user interface can include one or more display objects  104 ,  106 . In the example shown, the display objects  104 ,  106 , are graphic representations of system objects. Some examples of system objects include device functions, applications, windows, files, alerts, events, or other identifiable system objects. 
     Exemplary Mobile Device Functionality 
     In some implementations, the mobile device  100  can implement multiple device functionalities, such as a telephony device, as indicated by a phone object  110 ; an email device, as indicated by the e-mail object  112 ; a network data communication device, as indicated by the Web object  114 ; a Wi-Fi base station device (not shown); and a media processing device, as indicated by the media player object  116 . In some implementations, particular display objects  104 , e.g., the phone object  110 , the e-mail object  112 , the Web object  114 , and the media player object  116 , can be displayed in a menu bar  118 . In some implementations, device functionalities can be accessed from a top-level graphical user interface, such as the graphical user interface illustrated in  FIG. 1 . Touching one of the objects  110 ,  112 ,  114  or  116  can, for example, invoke corresponding functionality. 
     In some implementations, the mobile device  100  can implement network distribution functionality. For example, the functionality can enable the user to take the mobile device  100  and its associated network while traveling. In particular, the mobile device  100  can extend Internet access (e.g., Wi-Fi) to other wireless devices in the vicinity. For example, mobile device  100  can be configured as a base station for one or more devices. As such, mobile device  100  can grant or deny network access to other wireless devices. 
     In some implementations, upon invocation of device functionality, the graphical user interface of the mobile device  100  changes, or is augmented or replaced with another user interface or user interface elements, to facilitate user access to particular functions associated with the corresponding device functionality. For example, in response to a user touching the phone object  110 , the graphical user interface of the touch-sensitive display  102  may present display objects related to various phone functions; likewise, touching of the email object  112  may cause the graphical user interface to present display objects related to various e-mail functions; touching the Web object  114  may cause the graphical user interface to present display objects related to various Web-surfing functions; and touching the media player object  116  may cause the graphical user interface to present display objects related to various media processing functions. 
     In some implementations, the top-level graphical user interface environment or state of  FIG. 1  can be restored by pressing a button  120  located near the bottom of the mobile device  100 . In some implementations, each corresponding device functionality may have corresponding “home” display objects displayed on the touch-sensitive display  102 , and the graphical user interface environment of  FIG. 1  can be restored by pressing the “home” display object. 
     In some implementations, the top-level graphical user interface can include additional display objects  106 , such as a short messaging service (SMS) object  130 , a calendar object  132 , a photos object  134 , a camera object  136 , a calculator object  138 , a stocks object  140 , a weather object  142 , a maps object  144 , a notes object  146 , a clock object  148 , an address book object  150 , and a settings object  152 . Touching the SMS display object  130  can, for example, invoke an SMS messaging environment and supporting functionality; likewise, each selection of a display object  132 ,  134 ,  136 ,  138 ,  140 ,  142 ,  144 ,  146 ,  148 ,  150  and  152  can invoke a corresponding object environment and functionality. 
     Additional and/or different display objects can also be displayed in the graphical user interface of  FIG. 1 . For example, if the device  100  is functioning as a base station for other devices, one or more “connection” objects may appear in the graphical user interface to indicate the connection. In some implementations, the display objects  106  can be configured by a user, e.g., a user may specify which display objects  106  are displayed, and/or may download additional applications or other software that provides other functionalities and corresponding display objects. 
     In some implementations, the mobile device  100  can include one or more input/output (I/O) devices and/or sensor devices. For example, a speaker  160  and a microphone  162  can be included to facilitate voice-enabled functionalities, such as phone and voice mail functions. In some implementations, a loud speaker  164  can be included to facilitate hands-free voice functionalities, such as speaker phone functions. An audio jack  166  can also be included for use of headphones and/or a microphone. 
     In some implementations, a proximity sensor  168  can be included to facilitate the detection of the user positioning the mobile device  100  proximate to the user&#39;s ear and, in response, to disengage the touch-sensitive display  102  to prevent accidental function invocations. In some implementations, the touch-sensitive display  102  can be turned off to conserve additional power when the mobile device  100  is proximate to the user&#39;s ear. 
     Other sensors can also be used. For example, in some implementations, an ambient light sensor  170  can be utilized to facilitate adjusting the brightness of the touch-sensitive display  102 . In some implementations, an accelerometer  172  can be utilized to detect movement of the mobile device  100 , as indicated by the directional arrow  174 . Accordingly, display objects and/or media can be presented according to a detected orientation, e.g., portrait or landscape. In some implementations, the mobile device  100  may include circuitry and sensors for supporting a location determining capability, such as that provided by the global positioning system (GPS) or other positioning systems (e.g., systems using Wi-Fi access points, television signals, cellular grids, Uniform Resource Locators (URLs)). In some implementations, a positioning system (e.g., a GPS receiver) can be integrated into the mobile device  100  or provided as a separate device that can be coupled to the mobile device  100  through an interface (e.g., port device  190 ) to provide access to location-based services. 
     The mobile device  100  can also include a camera lens and sensor  180 . In some implementations, the camera lens and sensor  180  can be located on the back surface of the mobile device  100 . The camera can capture still images and/or video. 
     The mobile device  100  can also include one or more wireless communication subsystems, such as an 802.11b/g communication device  186 , and/or a Bluetooth™ communication device  188 . Other communication protocols can also be supported, including other 802.x communication protocols (e.g., WiMax, Wi-Fi, 3G), code division multiple access (CDMA), global system for mobile communications (GSM), Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), etc. 
     In some implementations, a port device  190 , e.g., a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port, or a docking port, or some other wired port connection, can be included. The port device  190  can, for example, be utilized to establish a wired connection to other computing devices, such as other communication devices  100 , network access devices, a personal computer, a printer, or other processing devices capable of receiving and/or transmitting data. In some implementations, the port device  190  allows the mobile device  100  to synchronize with a host device using one or more protocols, such as, for example, the TCP/IP, HTTP, UDP and any other known protocol. In some implementations, a TCP/IP over USB protocol can be used. 
     Network Operating Environment 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram of an example network operating environment  200  for the mobile device  100  of  FIG. 1 . The mobile device  100  of  FIG. 1  can, for example, communicate over one or more wired and/or wireless networks  210  in data communication. For example, a wireless network  212 , e.g., a cellular network, can communicate with a wide area network (WAN)  214 , such as the Internet, by use of a gateway  216 . Likewise, an access point  218 , such as an 802.11g wireless access point, can provide communication access to the wide area network  214 . In some implementations, both voice and data communications can be established over the wireless network  212  and the access point  218 . For example, the mobile device  100   a  can place and receive phone calls (e.g., using VoIP protocols), send and receive e-mail messages (e.g., using POP3 protocol), and retrieve electronic documents and/or streams, such as web pages, photographs, and videos, over the wireless network  212 , gateway  216 , and wide area network  214  (e.g., using TCP/IP or UDP protocols) Likewise, the mobile device  100   b  can place and receive phone calls, send and receive e-mail messages, and retrieve electronic documents over the access point  218  and the wide area network  214 . In some implementations, the mobile device  100  can be physically connected to the access point  218  using one or more cables and the access point  218  can be a personal computer. In this configuration, the mobile device  100  can be referred to as a “tethered” device. 
     The mobile devices  100   a  and  100   b  can also establish communications by other means. For example, the wireless device  100   a  can communicate with other wireless devices, e.g., other wireless devices  100 , cell phones, etc., over the wireless network  212 . Likewise, the mobile devices  100   a  and  100   b  can establish peer-to-peer communications  220 , e.g., a personal area network, by use of one or more communication subsystems, such as the Bluetooth™ communication device  188  shown in  FIG. 1 . Other communication protocols and topologies can also be implemented. 
     The mobile device  100  can, for example, communicate with one or more services  230 ,  240 ,  250 ,  260  and  280  and/or one or more content publishers  270  over the one or more wired and/or wireless networks  210 . For example, a navigation service  230  can provide navigation information, e.g., map information, location information, route information, and other information, to the mobile device  100 . In the example shown, a user of the mobile device  100   b  has invoked a map functionality, e.g., by pressing the maps object  144  on the top-level graphical user interface shown in  FIG. 1 , and has requested and received a map for the location “1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, Calif.” 
     A messaging service  240  can, for example, provide e-mail and/or other messaging services. A media service  250  can, for example, provide access to media files, such as song files, movie files, video clips, and other media data. One or more other services  260  can also be utilized by the mobile device  100 . 
     The mobile device  100  can also access other data and content over the one or more wired and/or wireless networks  210 . For example, content publishers, e.g., content publisher(s)  270 , such as news sites, RSS feeds, web sites, blogs, social networking sites, developer networks, etc., can be accessed by the mobile device  100 . Such access can be provided by invocation of a web browsing function or application (e.g., a browser) in response to a user touching the Web object  114 . 
     An information service  280  can include multiple content repositories populated with data regarding items of interest that are categorized. The information service block  280  can receive preferences and location information to generate categorical information as output. In some implementations, the information service block  280  is a network resource which can be accessed through a network connection (e.g., the Internet, wireless network). 
     Exemplary Mobile Device Architecture 
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram  300  of an example implementation of the mobile device  100  of  FIG. 1 . The mobile device  100  can include a memory interface  302 , one or more data processors, image processors and/or central processing units  304 , and a peripherals interface  306 . The memory interface  302 , the one or more processors  304  and/or the peripherals interface  306  can be separate components or can be integrated in one or more integrated circuits. The various components in the mobile device  100  can be coupled by one or more communication buses or signal lines. 
     Sensors, devices and subsystems can be coupled to the peripherals interface  306  to facilitate multiple functionalities. For example, a motion sensor  310 , a light sensor  312 , and a proximity sensor  314  can be coupled to the peripherals interface  306  to facilitate the orientation, lighting and proximity functions described with respect to  FIG. 1 . Other sensors  316  can also be connected to the peripherals interface  306 , such as a positioning system (e.g., GPS receiver), a temperature sensor, a biometric sensor, or other sensing device, to facilitate related functionalities. 
     A camera subsystem  320  and an optical sensor  322 , e.g., a charged coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) optical sensor, can be utilized to facilitate camera functions, such as recording photographs and video clips. 
     Communication functions can be facilitated through one or more wireless communication subsystems  324 , which can include radio frequency receivers and transmitters and/or optical (e.g., infrared) receivers and transmitters. The specific design and implementation of the communication subsystem  324  can depend on the communication network(s) over which the mobile device  100  is intended to operate. For example, a mobile device  100  may include communication subsystems  324  designed to operate over a GSM network, a GPRS network, an EDGE network, a Wi-Fi or WiMax network, and a Bluetooth™ network. In particular, the wireless communication subsystems  324  may include hosting protocols such that the device  100  may be configured as a base station for other wireless devices. 
     An audio subsystem  326  can be coupled to a speaker  328  and a microphone  330  to facilitate voice-enabled functions, such as voice recognition, voice replication, digital recording, and telephony functions. 
     The I/O subsystem  340  can include a touch screen controller  342  and/or other input controller(s)  344 . The touch-screen controller  342  can be coupled to a touch screen  346 . The touch screen  346  and touch screen controller  342  can, for example, detect contact and movement or break thereof using any of a plurality of touch sensitivity technologies, including but not limited to capacitive, resistive, infrared, and surface acoustic wave technologies, as well as other proximity sensor arrays or other elements for determining one or more points of contact with the touch screen  346 . 
     The other input controller(s)  344  can be coupled to other input/control devices  348 , such as one or more buttons, rocker switches, thumb-wheel, infrared port, USB port, and/or a pointer device such as a stylus. The one or more buttons (not shown) can include an up/down button for volume control of the speaker  328  and/or the microphone  330 . 
     In one implementation, a pressing of the button for a first duration may disengage a lock of the touch screen  346 ; and a pressing of the button for a second duration that is longer than the first duration may turn power to the mobile device  100  on or off. The user may be able to customize a functionality of one or more of the buttons. The touch screen  346  can, for example, also be used to implement virtual or soft buttons and/or a keyboard. 
     In some implementations, the mobile device  100  can present recorded audio and/or video files, such as MP3, AAC, and MPEG files. In some implementations, the mobile device  100  can include the functionality of an MP3 player, such as an iPod™. The mobile device  100  may, therefore, include a 36-pin connector that is compatible with the iPod. Other input/output and control devices can also be used. 
     The memory interface  302  can be coupled to memory  350 . The memory  350  can include high-speed random access memory and/or non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic disk storage devices, one or more optical storage devices, and/or flash memory (e.g., NAND, NOR). The memory  350  can store an operating system  352 , such as Darwin, RTXC, LINUX, UNIX, OS X, WINDOWS, or an embedded operating system such as VxWorks. The operating system  352  may include instructions for handling basic system services and for performing hardware dependent tasks. In some implementations, the operating system  352  can be a kernel (e.g., UNIX kernel). 
     The memory  350  may also store communication instructions  354  to facilitate communicating with one or more additional devices, one or more computers and/or one or more servers. The memory  350  may include graphical user interface instructions  356  to facilitate graphic user interface processing; sensor processing instructions  358  to facilitate sensor-related processing and functions; phone instructions  360  to facilitate phone-related processes and functions; electronic messaging instructions  362  to facilitate electronic-messaging related processes and functions; web browsing instructions  364  to facilitate web browsing-related processes and functions; media processing instructions  366  to facilitate media processing-related processes and functions; GPS/Navigation instructions  368  to facilitate GPS and navigation-related processes and instructions; camera instructions  370  to facilitate camera-related processes and functions; and/or other software instructions  372  to facilitate other processes and functions. 
     Each of the above identified instructions and applications can correspond to a set of instructions for performing one or more functions described above. These instructions need not be implemented as separate software programs, procedures or modules. The memory  350  can include additional instructions or fewer instructions. Furthermore, various functions of the mobile device  100  may be implemented in hardware and/or in software, including in one or more signal processing and/or application specific integrated circuits. 
     Exemplary Information Service Block Architecture 
       FIG. 4  is a block diagram of an example implementation of the information service block  280  of  FIG. 2 . The information service block  280  includes multiple content repositories  410   a ,  410   b  . . .  410   n  and a filter  420 . The information service block  280  can receive preferences and location information as input, and generates filtered information services as output. In some implementations, the information service block  280  is a network resource which can be accessed through a network connection (e.g., the Internet, wireless network). 
     The content repositories  410  or content databases store location-based information. Some examples of location-based content items include information about points of interest (e.g., museums, zoos, historical sites, famous homes), shopping (e.g., specialty stores, jewelry, music stores, antiques), and information about local activities (e.g., hiking, skydiving, birdwatching). In some implementations, the location-based information can be indexed (e.g., an inverse index) in the content repositories  410  by geographic location or region, such as, for example, by metropolitan region, county, town, zip code, or telephone area code. 
     The information service block  280  can receive from the mobile device  100 , through the wired and/or wireless networks  210 , preferences and location information, e.g., user preferences and user geographic location information. The geographic location information can be provided by the mobile device  100  using GPS or other positioning systems (e.g., systems using Wi-Fi access points, television signals, cellular grids, or URLs). The geographic location information can be received, for example, as latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates, as a region associated with a Wi-Fi access point, or as a metropolitan region, a county, or a town. In some implementations, the mobile device  100  pushes geographic location information to the information service block  280  through the wired and/or wireless networks  210 . 
     In some implementations, user preferences can define the types of location-based information the user of the mobile device  100  wishes to receive. For example, the user can choose to receive certain categories of information. Setting preferences for information services is described in more detail with reference to  FIGS. 5A-5B . In some implementations, if the user preferences have not been set, the information service block  280  can use default settings for the mobile device  100 . 
     The filter  420  of the information service block  280  can receive as an input user preferences, location information, and/or location-based information from the content repositories  410 . In some implementations, the filter  420  also receives location-based information from content repositories or servers remote to the information service block  280 . The output of the filter  420  and the information service block  280  is categorical information that conforms to the input preferences and that can be location-specific, based on the input location information. In some implementations, the location-based information is stored on the mobile device  100 , and filtering of the location-based information is performed by the mobile device  100 . 
     Exemplary Preference Setting for Location-Based Information Services 
       FIG. 5A  illustrates an example  500  of selecting categorical information and setting preferences for location-based information services provided by the mobile device  100  of  FIG. 1 . The example  500  uses a graphical user interface with a tabbed window which can be displayed in, for example, the touch-sensitive display  102  of the mobile device  100 , or in a display of an access device  218  (e.g., a personal computer) when the mobile device  100  is in communication with the access device  218 . For example, a mobile service application of the access device  218  can allow a user to set preferences for the location-based information services. 
     In this example, a user of the mobile device  100  can choose to receive categorical information corresponding to restaurants  502 , hotels  504 , movie theaters information and listings  506 , sports venues information and schedules  508 , and museums  508 . The user can select the types of categorical information to be retrieved by checking the corresponding checkbox  512  for the desired topic. In the example  500 , the user has set the preferences for the location-based information services by choosing to receive categorical information related only to museums  508 . In some implementations, more than one category can be selected or a new category can be input by the user using, e.g., the touch-sensitive display  102  of the mobile device  100 . In some implementations, one or more of the categories shown in  FIG. 5A  can have subcategories that can be selected to further refine the information to be provided to the mobile device. The subcategories can be accessed through menus or other control structures. 
     In some implementations, the user sets the preferences at the time the mobile device  100  is configured or activated. The user can modify the preference settings at a later date. In some implementations, the first time a user requests location-based information services (e.g., by selecting the information services object  122  of  FIG. 1 ), the user is presented with the information services selection interface, such as the tabbed window in example  500 . 
       FIG. 5B  illustrates an example  530  of other settings for categorical information provided to the mobile device  100 . In an implementation, a user can share categorical information with others. In the example  500 , a user can enable sharing  514  and define how the categorical information is to be shared using checkboxes  524  (e.g., with everyone  516  or only with contacts on a “buddy list”  518 ). In another implementation, a user can set a preference to enable others to update the categorical information. In the example  500 , a checkbox  524  is provided to allow updates  520  by others (i.e., everyone  516  or only buddy list contacts  518 , as specified by a user). 
     In an implementation, automatic updates  522  to the categorical information can be provided to the mobile device  100 . For example, if a user selects museums  508 , and a new museum opens or updates its content, the categorical information provided to the mobile device  100  can be updated automatically to reflect the updated information. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 6A-B , an example of user interface  600  that displays graphical objects  602 ,  604  and  606  representing the locations of items of interest that satisfy a request for categorical information (e.g. museums). In an implementation, the graphical objects  602 ,  604  and  606  appear as push pins that are “pinned” to a map at their corresponding locations. In one implementation, the user can define a setting within the mobile device  100  to specify a proximity condition that must be satisfied by an item before a push pin is shown on the map representing an item that satisfies a condition. In an example, the proximity condition can specify that the item&#39;s location be within a certain radius of the current location of the mobile device  100  in order to be displayed on the map  600 . In some implementations, the categorical information can be manually updated in response to a user selection of an update option. 
     In yet another example, the proximity condition can specify that the item&#39;s location be within the geographic parameters of the map displayed to the user in order to be displayed on the map  600 . In such an example, if the user selects to “zoom out” the map to display a larger geographical area, then multiple other push pins may appear corresponding to locations within the larger geographical area. In another implementation, the proximity condition can specify that the graphical objects are displayed and/or removed from the map  600  as the displayed map  600  changes to indicate movement of the mobile device  100 . 
     As mentioned above, each pushpin  602 ,  604  and  606  represents an item that satisfies a condition (e.g., a request for categorical information). If the user desires to retrieve information about a particular item represented by a push pin, the user can select the push pin and information included in the address book is retrieved and provided to the user. For example, in one implementation where the mobile device  100  includes a touch sensitive display (e.g., touch sensitive display  102  shown in  FIG. 1 ), the user can touch a push pin to select the push pin, and the contact information for the item of interest corresponding to the push pin is displayed or otherwise presented to the user (e.g., as an audio and/or video presentation) 
     In one implementation, a single touch of the push pin, e.g., a tap on the touch sensitive display can yield a first result and a sustained touch of the push pin can yield a second result (examples of first and second results are described below). In another implementation, where a user can interact with the map  600  using a pointing device (e.g., a joystick), hovering a cursor over the push pin can yield the first result and clicking the push pin can yield the second result. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6B , an example of information that can be provided to the user upon selecting a push pin is shown. In this example, the user selected the push pin  604  and a first result is displayed. The first result is displayed in an information balloon  608  superimposed on the map  600 . The information balloon  608  includes contact information (e.g., the name, address and telephone number) of the item represented by the push pin  604 . In this example, the user tapped on the touch sensitive display  102  in the vicinity of the push pin  604  to yield this first result, being the contact information for this particular item. 
     The configuration of the graphical user interface presenting the information balloon  608  can be configured differently and can include different, or more or less information about the item in other implementations. 
     Another example of selecting a graphical object, such as, a sustained touch of the push pin, can result in an initiation of a telephone call to the contact telephone number presented as the first result. For example, a sustained touch of the push pin  604  can result in a telephone call being initiated to item of interest represented by the push pin  604 . In another implementation, driving directions can be provided from the current location of the mobile device  102  to the item of interest. In yet another implementation, an e-mail can be sent to contacts on a buddy list inviting others to meet the user of the mobile device at the item of interest. 
       FIG. 6C  is an example mobile device  100  presenting a user interface on the touch sensitive display  102 . The user interface includes the map  600  displaying the graphical objects  602 ,  604  and  606 . An input user interface  610  is provided to present options to a user. In an implementation, a user can choose to share the categorical information (e.g., a data structure represented by the graphical objects  602 ,  604  and  606 ) through an interface provided by an information service  280 . For example, the data representative of the graphical objects  602 ,  604  and  606  can be stored in the memory  350  of the mobile device  100  and communicated by the wireless communication subsystem  324  to the information service  280  by selecting an upload option. In another implementation, the information service  280  can maintain a version of the data structure that was communicated to the mobile device  100  for access by others. In another implementation, a second mobile device can establish a peer-to-peer connection with the mobile device  100  to receive the data representative of the graphical objects  602 ,  604  and  606 . 
     In an implementation, the data at the information service  280  can be shared with others in accordance with access rights as described above regard to  FIG. 5B . Other users can retrieve the data from the information service  280  and display the categorical information as graphical objects using another mobile device, personal computer, set-top box, gaming device, portable video player or portable image viewer. 
     In an implementation, according to, e.g., a user selection or system setting, data that satisfies the request for categorical information can be manually updated in response to an input. Manual updates can be retrieved from the information service  280  and provided to the mobile device  100  as new or updated information that satisfies the request for categorical information becomes available at the information service  280 . 
     Exemplary Location-Based Information Services Process 
       FIG. 7  is a flow diagram of an example process  700  for providing categorical information to the mobile device  100  of  FIG. 1 . In an implementation, the example process  700  can be implemented as instructions stored in memory  350  and executed on the processor  304  and/or instructions executed by the information service  280 . At stage  702 , a user indication is received. For example, a user may input a request for categorical information by using the user interface  500  shown in  FIG. 5A  that is received by the information service  280 . 
     At stage  704 , a responsive collection of categorical information is determined. For example, in response to the request made by a user, the information service  280  can assemble categorical data responsive to the categorical topic selected by the user in the interface  500  shown in  FIG. 5A  using a system such as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     At stage  706 , categorical information is received. For example, the mobile device  100  can receive categorical information in a data structure from the information service  280  using the wireless communication subsystem  324 . 
     At stage  708 , the categorical data is displayed. For example, the categorical data is displayed in the touch sensitive display  102 , as graphical objects representing items of interest, such as shown in  FIGS. 6A and 6B . 
     Optionally, at stage  710 , the categorical data is updated. For example, in response to a user input or a system setting, updates to the categorical information can be communicated to, or synchronized with, the mobile device  102  to update the display shown in the touch sensitive display  102  or the data stored at the information service  280 . The updating/synchronization can be automatic or manually initiated by user input. 
       FIG. 8  is a flow diagram of an example process  800  for selected and sharing categorical information. In an implementation, the example process  800  can be implemented as instructions stored in memory  350  and executed on the processor  304  and/or instructions executed by the information service  280 . At stage  802 , a user indication is received. For example, a user may input a request for categorical information by using the user interface  500  shown in  FIG. 5A  that is received by the information service  280 . 
     At stage  804 , a responsive collection of categorical information is determined. For example, in response to the request made by a user, the information service  280  can assemble categorical data responsive to the categorical topic selected by the user in the interface  500  shown in  FIG. 5A  using a system such as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     At stage  806 , categorical information is received. For example, the mobile device  100  can receive categorical information in a data structure from the information service  280  using the wireless communication subsystem  324 . 
     At stage  808 , the categorical data is displayed. For example, the categorical data is displayed in the touch sensitive display  102 , as graphical objects representing items of interest, such as shown in  FIGS. 6A and 6B . 
     At stage  810 , an indication to share the categorical data is received. For example, using an interface such as  FIGS. 5A and 6C , a user of the mobile device  100  can indicate using the touch sensitive display  102  that the collection of categorical data is to be shared with others. The categorical information can be uploaded from the mobile device  100  to an information service  280 , or the information service  280  can retain a version of the categorical data that is made accessible to others. 
     At stage  812 , a request is received. For example, the information service  280  can receive a request from a second user for the collection of categorical information specified by the user of the mobile device  100 . The second user can be authenticated against the access rights set by the user of the mobile device  100 . 
     At stage  814 , the collection of categorical information is provided. For example, the requester of the categorical information can receive the collection created by the user of the mobile device  100  at another mobile device, personal computer, set-top, video player, or image viewer. The collection of categorical data is provided in accordance with the criteria indicated in, for example,  FIG. 5B . 
     The disclosed embodiments can be implemented in a computing system that includes a back end component, e.g., as a data server, or that includes a middleware component, e.g., an application server, or that includes a front end component, e.g., a client computer having a graphical user interface or a Web browser through which a user can interact with an implementation of what is disclosed here, or any combination of one or more such back end, middleware, or front end components. The components of the system can be interconnected by any form or medium of digital data communication, e.g., a communication network. Examples of communication networks include a local area network (“LAN”) and a wide area network (“WAN”), e.g., the Internet. 
     The computing system can include clients and servers. A client and server are generally remote from each other and typically interact through a communication network. The relationship of client and server arises by virtue of computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client-server relationship to each other. 
     While this specification contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of what being claims or of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular embodiments. Certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable sub-combination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a sub-combination or variation of a sub-combination. 
     Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this should not be understand as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various system components in the embodiments described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments, and it should be understood that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single software product or packaged into multiple software products. 
     Various modifications may be made to the disclosed implementations and still be within the scope of the following claims.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20121109
Publication Date: 20140527
Grant Date: 20140527
Priority Date: 20070628
Inventors: FORSTALL SCOTT J.
CHRISTIE GREGORY N.
BORCHERS ROBERT EDWARD
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H04L67/52", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L67/52", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/72457", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/72457", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M2250/22", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M2250/10", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W4/02", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M2250/22", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M2250/10", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W4/029", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 40161202