U.S. patent application number 13/620750 was filed with the patent office on 2013-04-25 for multiple views of a geographic area on a mobile device.
This patent application is currently assigned to Google Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is Adam Bliss, Michael Chu, Mark Crady, Scott Jenson, Sanjay Mavinkurve, Jerry Morrison, Joshua J. Sacks. Invention is credited to Adam Bliss, Michael Chu, Mark Crady, Scott Jenson, Sanjay Mavinkurve, Jerry Morrison, Joshua J. Sacks.
Application Number | 20130102364 13/620750 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38023956 |
Filed Date | 2013-04-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130102364 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bliss; Adam ; et
al. |
April 25, 2013 |
MULTIPLE VIEWS OF A GEOGRAPHIC AREA ON A MOBILE DEVICE
Abstract
A computer-implemented method is disclosed that includes
receiving on a mobile device a search query associated with a
geographic location, providing one or more search results in
response to the search query, the search results each being
associated with a geographic location, and presenting on a
graphical display of the computing device icons corresponding to
each search result and also corresponding to a key on the computing
device.
Inventors: |
Bliss; Adam; (Berkeley,
CA) ; Crady; Mark; (Palo Alto, CA) ; Chu;
Michael; (Los Altos Hills, CA) ; Jenson; Scott;
(Palo Alto, CA) ; Mavinkurve; Sanjay; (East Palo
Alto, CA) ; Sacks; Joshua J.; (Woodside, CA) ;
Morrison; Jerry; (Mountain View, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Bliss; Adam
Crady; Mark
Chu; Michael
Jenson; Scott
Mavinkurve; Sanjay
Sacks; Joshua J.
Morrison; Jerry |
Berkeley
Palo Alto
Los Altos Hills
Palo Alto
East Palo Alto
Woodside
Mountain View |
CA
CA
CA
CA
CA
CA
CA |
US
US
US
US
US
US
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Google Inc.
Mountain View
CA
|
Family ID: |
38023956 |
Appl. No.: |
13/620750 |
Filed: |
September 15, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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13601358 |
Aug 31, 2012 |
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13620750 |
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|
13107155 |
May 13, 2011 |
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13601358 |
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|
11557460 |
Nov 7, 2006 |
7945546 |
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13107155 |
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60734675 |
Nov 7, 2005 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
455/566 ;
715/841 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 16/9535 20190101;
G01C 21/3676 20130101; G06F 16/954 20190101; G06F 16/9537 20190101;
G06F 16/29 20190101; G06F 3/0482 20130101; G01C 21/367 20130101;
G06F 16/951 20190101; G09B 29/106 20130101; H04M 1/0206 20130101;
G06F 3/048 20130101; G06F 3/04817 20130101; H04M 1/72572 20130101;
H04M 1/72519 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
455/566 ;
715/841 |
International
Class: |
G06F 3/048 20060101
G06F003/048; H04M 1/02 20060101 H04M001/02 |
Claims
1. A computer-implemented method comprising: displaying a first
view of a geographic area on a display of a mobile computing
device; displaying a first menu with the first view of the
geographic area, wherein the first menu includes a plurality of
user-selectable options; receiving a selection of a one of the
plurality of user-selectable options included in the first menu;
and displaying, on the display of the mobile computing device and
in response to receiving the selection of the one of the plurality
of user-selectable options included in the first menu, a second
view of the geographic area, the first view and the second view
showing the geographic area in different manners.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first menu is displayed
superimposed over the first view of the geographic area.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first menu is displayed with
the first view of the geographic area in response to a user of the
mobile computing device selecting a selectable control displayed on
the display of the mobile computing device.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of
user-selectable options included in the first menu has a visible
label shown on the display of the mobile computing device that
matches a visible label on an input key of the mobile computing
device.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving the selection of the
one of the plurality of user-selectable options included in the
first menu comprises receiving a user selection of the input key
with the visible label that matches the visible label of the one of
the plurality of user-selectable options included in the first
menu.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: displaying a second
menu with the second view of the geographic area in response to a
user of the mobile computing device selecting a selectable control
displayed on the display of the mobile computing device, wherein
the second menu includes a plurality of user-selectable options;
receiving a selection of a one of the plurality of user-selectable
options included in the second menu; and displaying, on the display
of the mobile computing device and in response to receiving the
selection of the one of the plurality of user-selectable options
included in the second menu, the first view of the geographic
area.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second menu is displayed
superimposed over the second view of the geographic area.
8. The method of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of
user-selectable options included in the second menu has a visible
label shown on the display of the mobile computing device that
matches a visible label on an input key of the mobile computing
device.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving the selection of the
one of the plurality of user-selectable options included in the
second menu comprises receiving a user selection of the input key
with the visible label that matches the visible label of the one of
the plurality of user-selectable options included in the second
menu.
10. The method of claim 6, wherein: the first view comprises a map
view of the geographic area, the second view comprises an overhead
image view of the geographic area, the selection of the one of the
plurality of user-selectable options included in the first menu
causes the mobile computing device to switch from displaying the
map view of the geographic area on the display of the mobile
computing device to displaying the overhead image view of the
geographic area on the display of the mobile computing device, and
the selection of the one of the plurality of user-selectable
options included in the second menu causes the mobile computing
device to switch from displaying the overhead image view of the
geographic area on the display of the mobile computing device to
displaying the map view of the geographic area on the display of
the mobile computing device.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the overhead image view is a
satellite view.
12. A mobile computing device comprising: a wireless communication
interface; a display screen; and one or more processors connected
to memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the one
or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform
operations comprising: displaying a first view of a geographic area
on a display of the mobile computing device; displaying a first
menu with the first view of the geographic area, wherein the first
menu includes a plurality of user-selectable options; receiving a
selection of a one of the plurality of user-selectable options
included in the first menu; and displaying, on the display of the
mobile computing device and in response to receiving the selection
of the one of the plurality of user-selectable options included in
the first menu, a second view of the geographic area, the first
view and the second view showing the geographic area in different
manners.
13. The device of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of
user-selectable options included in the first menu has a visible
label shown on the display of the mobile computing device that
matches a visible label on an input key of the mobile computing
device.
14. The device of claim 13, wherein the operation of receiving the
selection of the one of the plurality of user-selectable options
included in the first menu comprises the operation of receiving a
user selection of the input key with the visible label that matches
the visible label of the one of the plurality of user-selectable
options included in the first menu.
15. The device of claim 12, wherein the operations further
comprise: displaying a second menu with the second view of the
geographic area in response to a user of the mobile computing
device selecting a selectable control displayed on the display of
the mobile computing device, wherein the second menu includes a
plurality of user-selectable options; receiving a selection of a
one of the plurality of user-selectable options included in the
second menu; and displaying, on the display of the mobile computing
device and in response to receiving the selection of the one of the
plurality of user-selectable options included in the second menu,
the first view of the geographic area.
16. The device of claim 15, wherein: the first view comprises a map
view of the geographic area, the second view comprises an overhead
image view of the geographic area, the selection of the one of the
plurality of user-selectable options included in the first menu
causes the mobile computing device to switch from displaying the
map view of the geographic area on the display of the mobile
computing device to displaying the overhead image view of the
geographic area on the display of the mobile computing device, and
the selection of the one of the plurality of user-selectable
options included in the second menu causes the mobile computing
device to switch from displaying the overhead image view of the
geographic area on the display of the mobile computing device to
displaying the map view of the geographic area on the display of
the mobile computing device.
17. A computer readable storage device encoded with a computer
program product, the computer program product including
instructions that, when executed, perform operations comprising:
displaying a first view of a geographic area on a display of a
mobile computing device; displaying a first menu with the first
view of the geographic area, wherein the first menu includes a
plurality of user-selectable options; receiving a selection of a
one of the plurality of user-selectable options included in the
first menu; and displaying, on the display of the mobile computing
device and in response to receiving the selection of the one of the
plurality of user-selectable options included in the first menu, a
second view of the geographic area, the first view and the second
view showing the geographic area in different manners.
18. The computer readable storage device of claim 17, wherein each
of the plurality of user-selectable options included in the first
menu has a visible label shown on the display of the mobile
computing device that matches a visible label on an input key of
the mobile computing device, and wherein the operation of receiving
the selection of the one of the plurality of user-selectable
options included in the first menu comprises the operation of
receiving a user selection of the input key with the visible label
that matches the visible label of the one of the plurality of
user-selectable options included in the first menu.
19. The computer readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the
operations further comprise: displaying a second menu with the
second view of the geographic area in response to a user of the
mobile computing device selecting a selectable control displayed on
the display of the mobile computing device, wherein the second menu
includes a plurality of user-selectable options; receiving a
selection of a one of the plurality of user-selectable options
included in the second menu; and displaying, on the display of the
mobile computing device and in response to receiving the selection
of the one of the plurality of user-selectable options included in
the second menu, the first view of the geographic area.
20. The computer readable storage device of claim 20, wherein: the
first view comprises a map view of the geographic area, the second
view comprises an overhead image view of the geographic area, the
selection of the one of the plurality of user-selectable options
included in the first menu causes the mobile computing device to
switch from displaying the map view of the geographic area on the
display of the mobile computing device to displaying the overhead
image view of the geographic area on the display of the mobile
computing device, and the selection of the one of the plurality of
user-selectable options included in the second menu causes the
mobile computing device to switch from displaying the overhead
image view of the geographic area on the display of the mobile
computing device to displaying the map view of the geographic area
on the display of the mobile computing device.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of and claims priority
under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.120 to U.S. application Ser. No. 13/601,358,
filed on Aug. 31, 2012, which is a continuation of and claims
priority to U.S. application Ser. No. 13/107,155, filed on May 13,
2011, which is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S.
application Ser. No. 11/557,460, filed on Nov. 7, 2006, now U.S.
Pat. No. 7,945,546, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Patent Application No. 60/734,675, filed on Nov. 7, 2005, and
entitled "Local Search and Mapping for Mobile Devices", which are
considered part of (and are incorporated by reference in) the
disclosure of this application.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] This description relates to user interfaces, and more
particularly to generating customized graphical user interfaces for
mobile computing devices.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Handheld mobile devices, such as cellular telephones and
personal digital assistants (PDAs), are becoming increasingly
powerful both in terms of processing power and the ability to
provide access to data. The usefulness of these enhancements is
often limited, however, by an inability of mobile devices to
display data effectively due to the small size of the display, to
the limited bandwidth available for wirelessly delivering data, and
to mobile device's limited memory resources relative to laptop and
desktop computers.
[0004] There are beginning to be some applications that are
specifically designed for handheld mobile devices. Many such
applications are based on application development platforms also
specifically designed for mobile devices, such as Java 2 Platform
Micro Edition (J2ME) and Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless
(BREW). Some applications that are designed for retrieving data
from a remote location to a handheld mobile device are browsers
that correspond to conventional browser applications in that they
enable users to enter uniform resource locators (URLs) to retrieve
information from any internet web site. Other applications enable
data to be retrieved by launching a separate browser application in
response, for example, to selecting a hyperlink in a user
interface. In addition, specialized, limited functionality
applications are available that provide a mechanism to access data
from dedicated application service providers.
[0005] One useful application for mobile devices is that of "local
search." Such an application allows a user to specify a particular
geographic location or area when submitting a search so that the
search results relate to that location or area. For example, a user
may enter "dim sum restaurants 56523" to be provided a list of all
dim sum restaurants in the 56523 zip code. Or the user might submit
"hotels near LAX" to receive a list or map showing all hotels near
Los Angeles International airport. Such local search can be
particularly helpful to users of mobile devices because they are
often looking for information about things around them, e.g.,
attempting to find directions, from their car, to a particular
store or building. Thus, there is a need for computer programs or
interfaces that provide users with convenient access to information
and useful presentation of that information.
SUMMARY
[0006] In general, this document relates to methods and systems for
allowing users of mobile devices having, for example, relatively
small screens and slow data transmission rates (or high latency) to
interact with those devices in a convenient and helpful manner. As
one example, a user can be provided with convenient approaches for
panning and zooming a view such as a map. The user may also be
provided with techniques for displaying and interacting with local
search results. Moreover, the user may be provided with techniques
for generating directions for a travel route, and for interacting
with the direction information.
[0007] In one implementation, a computer-implemented method is
disclosed. The method comprises receiving on a mobile device a
search query associated with a geographic location, providing one
or more search results in response to the search query, the search
results each being associated with a geographic location, and
presenting on a graphical display of the computing device icons
corresponding to each search result and also corresponding to a key
on the computing device. The method may further comprise joining
the search query with a geographic location previously associated
with the mobile device. The one or more search results may be
presented as numbered icons corresponding to numbers on a telephone
keypad. The method may additionally comprise presenting in response
to a selection of a first key initial textual or graphical
information about a first search result. In addition, the method
may include presenting in response to selection of a second key
additional textual or graphical information about the first result.
The initial or additional textual or graphical information may
include a click-to-call selection for a telephone number associated
with the first search result., or a directions selection that, when
selected, provides directions to a location associated with the
first search result.
[0008] In some aspects, the method may include presenting on the
graphical display a plurality of waypoint indicators associated
with directions to the location associated with the search result,
and presenting directions associated with each waypoint in response
to selections of each waypoint. The method may also include storing
information about recent queries or locations and submitting the
recent a first one of the recent queries or locations in response
to a user selection. Moreover, the method may comprise highlighting
for selection a first one of the icons and moving the highlighting
to a second one of the icons in response to a user-entered
direction.
[0009] In yet other aspects, the method may further comprise
presenting near one or more edges of the graphical display an icon
indicating the presence of search results located off the display.
The geographic location may be provided as part of the search
query.
[0010] In another implementation, a tangible media is disclosed
that carries instructions that, when executed, perform steps
comprising receiving on a mobile device a search query associated
with a geographic location, providing one or more search results in
response to the search query, the search results each being
associated with a geographic location, and presenting on a
graphical display of the computing device icons corresponding to
each search result and also corresponding to a key on the computing
device. The one or more search results may be presented as numbered
icons corresponding to numbers on a telephone keypad. Also, the
media may further carry instructions that when executed present in
response to a selection of a first key initial textual or graphical
information about a first search result. Further instructions may
present in response to selection of a second key additional textual
or graphical information about the first result.
[0011] In some aspects, instructions may present on the graphical
display a plurality of waypoint indicators associated with
directions to the location associated with the search result, and
present directions associated with each waypoint in response to
selections of each waypoint. In addition, the media may store
information about recent queries or locations and carrying
instructions that when executed submit a first one of the recent
queries or locations in response to a user selection.
[0012] In another implementation, a mobile computer-implemented
local search system is disclosed. The system includes an interface
to receive location information and to provide, in response,
corresponding map and search result information, map tile storage
holding a plurality of tiles for display with the interface, and
means for displaying search results that are indexed to data entry
keys that are part of the interface.
[0013] The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the
accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features,
objects, and advantages of the will be apparent from the
description and drawings, and from the claims.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 shows displays for a panning operation on a mobile
device.
[0015] FIGS. 2a-2b show displays for a zooming operation on a
mobile device.
[0016] FIGS. 3a-3b show displays for a local searching operation on
a mobile device.
[0017] FIGS. 4a-4b show displays for a directions operation on a
mobile device.
[0018] FIG. 5 shows a display for a move map dialog on a mobile
device.
[0019] FIG. 6a is a flow chart showing actions for zooming and
panning a graphical display on a mobile device.
[0020] FIG. 6b is a flow chart showing actions for displaying menus
on a mobile device.
[0021] FIG. 6c is a flow chart showing the display of local search
results on a mobile device.
[0022] FIG. 6d is a flow chart showing actions for displaying
driving directions on a mobile device.
[0023] FIG. 7 shows a schematic diagram of a system for providing
mapping information.
[0024] FIG. 8 shows a screen shot of a mobile local search sign up
page.
[0025] FIG. 9 shows a screen shot of a mobile local search device
selection page.
[0026] FIG. 10 shows a screen shot of a mobile local search device
selection page.
[0027] FIG. 11 shows block diagrams of general computing
systems.
[0028] Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like
elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0029] FIG. 1 shows displays for a panning operation on a mobile
device. View (a) shows a device having a map displayed on it. The
map provides a view at a certain level of zoom of a geographic
area--here centered around Redwood City, Calif. A user may pan on
the map by using a multi-direction selection key, such as that
shown in the middle of the device (e.g., cellular telephone) in the
Figure. Specifically, such a key may allow a user to press on its
upper portion to move up, on its right to move right, etc. In this
manner, the key can operate much like a flat joystick. Numeric keys
on the device may also be used for moving, such as the 6 key to
move right, the 4 key to move left, etc. Other input mechanisms for
panning, including voice input, may also be used as
appropriate.
[0030] When a user selects to pan the map in a particular
direction, the map may be regenerated in a number of ways. As one
example, the map may be comprised of a number of pre-composed tiles
that are in the form of raster images. A displayed map may be made
up of the tiles around the center of the map sufficient to fill the
display and perhaps extend somewhat beyond the display. The device
may then move these tiles in unison when a user requests a pan, so
that the full image of the map moves smoothly. The panning motion
for each press of a key may be indexed to a particular distance,
such as a single row of tiles or a portion of a row of tiles.
[0031] If the user pans beyond the extent of available tiles, the
map may be temporarily displayed with the area for those tiles
blank, as shown in view (b) in FIG. 1, along the right edge of the
display, where the user has panned to the right from view (a). Each
of the missing tiles may then be acquired, such as by downloading
from a remote server, in a predetermined manner so as to fill in
the blank remaining in the map while the viewer waits. In this
manner, the viewer may still see all of the original map
information in detail throughout the download process, which may be
preferable to wholly regenerating an entirely new display for which
the user will have to wait--particularly on mobile devices having
long latency times.
[0032] In addition, by using tiles, panning may occur through
methods other than simply erasing a prior map and replacing it with
a wholly new map that has "jumped" over a predetermined distance.
For example, when a user moves a certain direction, crosshairs that
represent the desired location--typically the center of the
map--may jump to the new panned-to location, and the map may then
slide smoothly (e.g., in an animated manner) over until the cross
hairs are again in the middle of the display. During or after the
adjustment, additional tiles may be downloaded or loaded from a
cache as necessary.
[0033] Smooth map scrolling may also occur by moving the map as
long as a user holds down a directional button rather than having
the map jump in large increments. The speed of the pan may be
pre-set, set by the user, or may be a function of how long the
button has been held down (with faster panning the longer the
button has been held down, either as a step-function increase in
speed, a linear increase in panning speed, or some other functional
relationship of speed to time-held). Panning may also occur by
moving the map in larger incremental jumps (i.e., to the new
location), with the crosshairs staying in the middle of the
display. For flexibility, the type of scanning may be selected,
such as based on a device performance rating (e.g., fixed when the
device or application is deployed), an option available to the
user, or set dynamically based on measured performance.
[0034] Additional tiles may also be downloaded around those
displayed on a map and cached in local memory on the device. In
this manner, a user can pan around an initial image to a limited
extent without forcing the download of additional tiles. In other
words, the amount of map display stored on a device may extend
beyond the edges of the actual display so that small motions can be
conducted without the need for downloads, and also so that more of
the map can be seen by the user even before additional tiles are
downloaded.
[0035] The tiles may also differ from each other based on the zoom
level at which a user is viewing the map. In particular, an entire
map, e.g., of the United States, may be displayed using multiple
layers of tiles. The highest layer would have very few tiles, which
might simply be rendered with state lines on them. At a closer zoom
level, regional details such as counties or interstate highways may
be shown, and additional tiles will likewise be provided. At a
closer level that may involve thousands or millions or more of
tiles, individual streets may be shown. Each layer may have its own
set of tiles, rendered at a particular resolution for the map, with
each closer level having more resolution and more tiles.
[0036] The display may be generated using dynamic download of map
tiles, and caching of tile information. Such an approach is
disclosed more fully in co-pending U.S. application Ser. No.
11/051,534, which is herein incorporated by reference in its
entirety.
[0037] Also, FIG. 1 shows the use of certain softkeys, which may be
keys whose changing functions are indicated by a changing display.
In FIG. 1, the softkeys are located in the upper corners of the
keypad, and correspond to a "zoom" feature (which is shown as "zoom
-" to indicate that pressing the key will zoom out) and a "menu"
feature (which will raise a menu of choices on the display), though
other appropriate features may be provided. Other possible softkeys
will be apparent from the remaining figures. The softkeys are
intuitively coupled to the on-screen selections by virtue of their
physical alignment with the selections (e.g., directly under the
selections). In FIG. 1, the softkeys permit the invocation of a
zoom function (left key), as described below, and also permit a
user to call up a menu containing a plurality of menu choices
(right key).
[0038] The maps provided for display on a mobile device may differ
from those normally provided to full-featured desktop computers.
For example, because mobile displays generally have a limited
display area, street names and other identifiers may be repeated
more often to ensure that they will be shown on a smaller display.
In addition, different colors may be used to accommodate displays
having lesser color depth than those of full-featured
computers.
[0039] FIGS. 2a-2b show displays for a zooming operation on a
mobile device. A map may be displayed initially at a particular
zoom level that may be preset, determined by the device, or
determined by a remote system, such as a server that stores and
provides tiles in response to requests from devices. For example,
where a search is a local search that includes a zip code or area
code, the zoom level may be selected so that the area displayed
with the map approximates the reach of the area code. Also, where a
map is returning search results, the zoom level may be set just
wider than the extent of the search results, so that all results
can be seen, but the results are as zoomed-in as is practical.
[0040] A user may then zoom in or out on the display, such as a
map. In FIG. 2, the "zoom out" command is represented by the left
softkey denoted as "zoom -" (but which could also be denoted as
"zoom out"). The right softkey may then be the "zoom +" or "zoom
in" key, though it is not labeled as such in the Figure. The zoom
in key may also be an "OK" key on the keypad, such as a key in the
middle of the selection key. Other keys may also represent zooming
functions, and zooming may occur as part of a broader course of
actions by a user, rather than simply being an isolated command.
For example, softkeys for zooming may be displayed only after
certain menu selections are made with respect to a mapping
application, or such softkeys may be displayed automatically in
appropriate contexts.
[0041] As shown in view (a) of FIG. 2(a), zooming in is aided by
the use of a zoom box, which is simply an outline that approximates
the shape of the device display and circumscribes the area that
will be shown after the zooming in has occurred. The zoom box may
also comprise a shaded area or other appropriate visual indicator
of the zoomed in area. An initial zoom box is shown if the user
selects "zoom in" once, and boxes of decreasing size, representing
further zoom levels, may be displayed as the user presses the key
additional times. Subsequent pressing of a "zoom out" key after the
pressing of a "zoom in" key may cause the zoom box to get larger as
it steps back through wider zooms, and may ultimately result in
zooming out (described below) when the zoom box fills the
display.
[0042] A user may also move the zoom box around the display, such
as by using directional keys (e.g., the control pad or the 2-4-6-8
keys). For example, if a user wants to zoom in on a small area in
the upper right-hand corner of a currently-displayed map, the user
may first press a "zoom in" key as many times as the user prefers,
and then may press "right" and "up" directional keys to move the
zoom box over the desired area. Such movement may occur in jumps or
as smooth panning of the zoom box, e.g., by animating movement of
the zoom box an index distance each time a directional key is
pressed.
[0043] A user may begin the process of displaying the zoomed-in
display by pressing an appropriate execution key. For example, the
user may press the middle of the selection key. In addition, the
regeneration process may be triggered by a delay, such as the
passage of several hundred milliseconds after a user has last
pressed a zooming-related key.
[0044] To make the zooming appear relatively smooth, the image may
be regenerated in a number of ways. For example, the portion of the
image inside the zoom box may be initially expanded to fill the
entire display, but in less-than-desired (but perhaps smoothed or
anti-aliased) resolution. The user may then be provided the
opportunity to view this image while more detailed information is
retrieved for the zoomed-in display. The more detailed information
may include tiles providing a closer view of the portion of the
prior map.
[0045] The transition from the original map to the zoomed-in map
may occur by any appropriate mechanism. For example, the original,
lower-resolution portion of the initial map may be shown across the
display, or may be gradually increased in size (with appropriate
anti-aliasing or other up-converting technique to compute the
appropriate pixel values at each size of the image) until it is
shown across the display. Once it has taken full size, the more
detailed image may begin to replace it, such as by overwriting with
scattered pixels from the more detailed image until the whole image
is displayed, or through other known approaches to transitioning
from lower-resolution to higher-resolution images. In addition, map
information may be layered, so that a map image is added at a
different time or a different rate than are street names and other
similar map labels.
[0046] Zooming out may occur in a manner similar to that of zooming
in, and is shown in views (d) through (f). When the user selects a
"zoom out" key, the map being displayed (view (d)) may be made
smaller in size with blank space around it (view (e)). If the user
presses "zoom out" again, the image may become smaller yet, to a
maximum distance of zooming out. Also, if the user then presses a
"zoom in" key, the image may get larger until it fills the display,
and the device may then show zoom boxes as rectangles of decreasing
size on the map. View (f) shows the result of zooming out one
degree from the display of view (d).
[0047] Though not shown, the user may also move the zoom box for
zooming out, so that the new display is not based on the same
center point as the old display. Specifically, directional keys may
be used to move the box, which may take the form of an outline, as
with the zoom box for zooming in. When the box is moved a
particular direction after a zoom out key has been selected, the
image may be left centered on the screen (as in view (e)), but the
outline may move around the image and into the blank space around
it. If the device contains image data for such an area (e.g., the
remainder of image tiles around the edge of the initial display),
that data may be displayed as the zoom box moves. Also,
lower-resolution around the edge of the initial display may also be
shown.
[0048] The blank area around the display may take on a variety of
forms. For example, it may be a simple solid color for simplicity.
It may also be a "background" or "wallpaper" image, so as to
provide the user with the sense that the image is simply layered on
top of the device's standard desktop, such as in the form of a
simple widget. In addition, the area may be provided with logos or
other promotional material, including material relevant to the
location being shown, and may be displayed as part of a program
such as the known Ad Words or AdSense programs from Google.
[0049] The zoomed-out display may be generated from the initial
display in manners similar to that for the zoomed in display above.
For example, the initial, but shrunken, view may be first
displayed, including in a lower resolution than originally
displayed, and new images (e.g., in the form of tiles) may be
padded around it as they are received. The initial view may stay in
the middle, or may ultimately be replaced by a new image for that
area, so as to better coordinate with the new images around it
(e.g., if street names or other labels are provided in different
locations for different zoom levels).
[0050] FIGS. 3a-3b show displays for a local searching operation on
a mobile device. Searching on the device may employ a standard
search system on a server, such as the Google Local service. The
information retrieved may be specially formatted for mobile
display, such as by a webserver connected to the search backend,
but configured to provide information particularly well-suited for
display on a mobile device (e.g., search results responsive to a
query, but relating to a particular town or zip code). View (a) in
FIG. 3a shows a local search input box, along with examples of
formats that a search may take. When the search input box is
displayed, the softkeys may change to reflect activities that are
helpful in the entry of data to the search input box.
[0051] The user may enter a search request by selecting the "type a
new search" hyperlink from the initial view (view (a)), which
causes the device to show an empty search input box (not shown).
The user may enter a search request that includes location
information, such as a zip or area code or other information such
as "hotels near jfk" or "pizza in sf." In such a situation, the
server that receives the request will parse out and identify the
location information, and the search will be conducted around that
location. The user may also enter a search request without location
information, such as "dim sum," "flowers," or "U Haul." In such a
situation, the local search may be performed on the area shown on
the map when the search is performed, or may be based on a
centerpoint that is the centerpoint of the map (but perhaps
covering an area smaller or larger than that shown in the map). In
addition, a location may be assigned for a user to be applied
across all searches, or a location may be determined by the device,
such as through GPS measurement. The search box may be incorporated
directly into the search dialog box also.
[0052] A user may then submit the search request, such as by
pressing the equivalent of an "enter" key (e.g., pressing the
center of a control pad). The request, with appropriate identifying
and other information, may then be transmitted to a remote system,
such as a local search server system. That system may recognize the
request as coming from a mobile device, and may format the
information accordingly, but may otherwise perform the search as
any other local search. For example, the system may return
information for nine hits so as to correspond to selections that
may be made using the nine positive integers on a typical telephone
keypad. (A tenth result may be provided for the 0 key also).
[0053] Such search results are shown in view (b) of FIG. 3a, where
the search term was "pizza." Here, the results are shown in a
manner common to Google Local search, with pin icons representing
search results. Each pin icon is shown located approximately over
the location of the result (e.g., the address of a restaurant or
other business), like a push-pin in a map.
[0054] Each pin is also given a number that is associated with a
key on the keypad. Pressing the associated key once will cause
summary information for the search result to be displayed, such as
the business name, as shown in view (b). The zoom level may be
selected so as to avoid getting more than 9 or 10 results, which
could not be easily identified with a mobile device keypad. Where
additional results exist outside the bounds of the display (e.g.,
because there are many results or because the user was zoomed in
very tightly and display of the search results did not change the
zoom level), other selections may be provided to the user for
viewing other search results, such as is shown in view (b). Various
actions may be taken on the information. For example, a user may
press the "send" or similar button on their device to make a
telephone connection with the search result--a click to dial
transaction.
[0055] Also, with mobile devices having small sizes and a limited
number of input keys, it may be preferable only to display a
smaller number of results on a map at a time to provide for easier
viewing and interaction by a user. Where there are additional
"hits" in the area searched, the display may provide some indicator
of the presence of those hits located off the initial display. For
example, an icon (not shown) could be displayed at each edge of the
display where there are additional hits off that side of the
display. Likewise, icons may be shown in the corners when the hits
are located diagonally from the displayed initial map (e.g.,
providing eight directions of possible indicators).
[0056] The icons may be similar to the pins that represent hits on
a full desktop display, such as for a desktop computer. For
example, the icons may simply be circles like the pins, but without
extensions below them toward the map, so as to indicate that they
represent hits just as the pins represent hits, but that they are
not located over their respective hits. The icons may also take on
a different color than the pins so as to distinguish them, may be
provided with additional indicators such as arrows attached to or
wrapped around the pin heads, and may also be provided with a
number that may or may not correspond to a key on the device's
keypad. For example, the number may correspond to the number of
hits located in the direction of the icon. As such, the user may be
apprised that panning in a particular direction is more likely to
be successful than panning in another direction. Such additional
direction may be particularly valuable to a user of a mobile device
because such a user may not be able to see very much at one time,
and may also have much less bandwidth, so that the user has a need
to pan more often but more efficiently also.
[0057] Movements with the device may also occur in a manner that
appears to a user as animated. For example, tiles may be moved
smoothly across a display from one panning position to another or
from a small zoomed-out or zoomed in display to smoothly enlarge to
the post-zoom display size. In addition, when search results are
provided, panning toward a result may cause the display to snap to
the next result, either immediately upon entry of a pan command, or
when the result is sufficiently close to entering the edge of the
display. Moreover, as a user selects different numbered search
results, the display may automatically pan smoothly from one result
to the next, e.g., placing the new result in the center or near the
center of the display.
[0058] The user may also press the key relating to a search result
a second time (or another key, as prompted) to bring up additional
information about the result, as shown in view (c). Such
information may include an address of a business along with its
telephone number and other contact information. Again, the
telephone number may allow for click-to-dial operations-either by
highlighting the number or a "call" hyperlink on the display and
selecting it, or by pressing a "send" or similar button when the
result is displayed.
[0059] Additional choices may also be presented to the user. For
example, the user may be provided with options whose selection
permits the user to receive directions to the location of the
search result or from the location of the search result. The other
endpoint for the directions may be selected in any appropriate
manner. For example, where the mobile device is GPS-enabled or
otherwise location-enabled, the directions may be computed
automatically from a measured location of the device.
Alternatively, the user may be asked to enter their current
location, and the directions will be provided between the entered
location and the location of the search result. Also, particular
locations may be stored in a history list, and may thus be selected
easily by a user. Additional information about a search result may
also be shown, and additional options may be provided for selection
by a user.
[0060] View (d) shows a subsequent search on the device, where a
search history is stored. The display is similar to that in view
(a), but now a recent search is available for display in a search
history. Thus, a hyperlink for the search "pizza" appears on the
display. This history may be helpful, for example, because it
allows a user to do the same search but for different areas. For
example, a traveling salesperson may love a particular restaurant
chain, and may place the name of that chain into favorites. The
salesperson may then repeat that search easily for any town in
which the salesperson is located, and may quickly receive results
to the search (particularly when an automatic location identifier
generates the appropriate map). When a user selects an item from
the search history, the user may be provided an opportunity to edit
the item. If such editing occurs, the edited search request may be
added to the history list.
[0061] FIG. 3b shows similar searching processes with more detail.
In a first view, a map is displayed. A user then selects a right
softkey associated by position with the "menu" overlay. Upon
selected the softkey, a menu of choices is generated visually over
the map, with a portion of the map show through around the menu, so
that the display more accurately approximates a desktop windowed
system with which users are typically aware. The user selects "1"
and is provided a search box in the third view (and the menu box is
removed). The box shows recent searches that the user may enter
simply by using a directional key to move down to one of the
searches, and then press an activation button. The user may also
choose to type a new search using a URL selection or such an
option.
[0062] In the example, the user enters "pizza 02138," a query that
may be transmitted to a central server. The server will parse the
query apart and look for local information in it. For example, the
system may assume that a 5-digit number in the appropriate location
of a query represents a zip code. The system may also assume that
food names, when accompanied by location information such as a zip
code, represent an interest in restaurants. Once the user confirms
their query, such as by pushing the center of a directional button,
the query may be submitted to the central server, and the results
sent back. The next view shows an exemplary display for such a
result. As shown, a single result has been generated in response to
the search query, and it is a particular pizza parlor.
[0063] The user may be given the option to see additional detail
about the search result (e.g., by pressing a key such as 1), and
such detail is shown in the last display in FIG. 3b. The detail
shows the address and telephone number of the particular search
result. In addition, certain options with respect to the search
result are provided. One of the options, for example, causes the
mobile device to dial and attempt to contact the search result,
such as a restaurant that takes reservations. In addition,
directions relating to the location of the search result may also
be provided, as described next.
[0064] FIGS. 4a-4b show displays for a directions operation on a
mobile device. Directions may be, for example, a choice under a
"menu" item, along with other options like those just discussed. As
just noted, a directions operation may also be readily selected
from the outcome of a local search request. Directions may be shown
by a line of contrasting color or weight overlaid on a map, and may
also include a number of waypoints, where the illustrated path
changes directions or changes from one road to another road. Other
waypoints may also be provided, such as lookouts or other points of
interest along a path. A user may be provided with a menu to select
preferences for particular waypoints that the user would like to
have displayed near a route, such as particular stores, government
buildings, landmarks, scenic points, etc.
[0065] View (a) in FIG. 4(a) shows a first display for entering
data for receiving directions. The view provides a user the ability
to enter a starting point for the directions. In the pictured view,
a user can select a point in two ways--by entering an address or
similar locational information, and by selecting a point on a map.
If the user chooses the first option, such as by selecting a
corresponding hyperlink, the user may be provided with an empty
data entry box into which an address may be entered. That address
will be sent to a remote system which may then parse it and
determine the address to which it refers, in preparing directions
to return to the device. The user may also choose a location from a
"recent places" list which stores location data and names for
locations that have recently been entered into the user's device,
or "favorite places" list which displays locations specifically
identified by the user as favorites (much like favorite web sites
in a standard web browser). If the user chooses the second option
(selecting a location on a map), the dialog will be removed so that
the underlying map is displayed, and the user may use map
navigation (e.g., panning and zooming) as explained above to place
the starting point in or near the middle of the displayed map. The
user may then press the center of a navigation key to indicate a
selection of the particular starting location.
[0066] Once the user has entered the starting point, he or she may
enter the ending point in a similar manner to the entry of the
starting point. View (b) shows a dialog for entering end point
information. Note again that the device may track recently
identified locations and present them as "recent places"
selections, either for starting points or ending points, to permit
quicker identification of a point by a user. Also, context
sensitive softkeys may also be provided, such as an option (in view
(a)) to cancel an attempt to receive directions, and an option (in
view (b)) to go back to re-select a start point.
[0067] Once the start and end points are provided, the remote
system (such as a Google backend server) may compute a route and
transmit it back to the device for display. The route may be placed
over the map in a particular color, with identifiers for the start
and end points. For example, the start point may be a simple green
icon, while the end may be a red icon. Also, the path may be in the
form of a highlighted or thickened line over the suggested
paths.
[0068] A dialog can initially be displayed along with the proposed
directions. The dialog (see view (c) in FIG. 4a) shows a route
overview, e.g., in the form of the start and end points, and a
computed distance for the trip. An additional dialog may be
provided showing the user which key to press to start the
directions, or a user may simply scroll down through the main
dialog to get to the directions. The directions may be simply
short-hand statements typical of driving directions well known in
the art.
[0069] A user can use the keypad (or voice commands, or even GPS
readings) to traverse through the route turns, with navigational
information appearing in a pop up window in much the same way as
the route overview information. A user may move forward and back
through a route, for instance, by pressing the 3 and 1 keys,
respectively (as shown in the bottom display of FIG. 4b). The
device may also display text or icons for cues to the user about
this functionality.
[0070] The map may additionally animate with the actual progress
along a path as a user moves from turn to turn. For example, the
text indication for a waypoint may jump from one waypoint to the
next, but the tiles may be panned smoothly so that a first waypoint
is initially positioned near the middle of the screen and then a
second waypoint is moved onto the screen (if it is initially off
the screen) and then into the middle of the screen. Appropriate
tiles may be retrieved, in a tile-based system, to show the map
between the two waypoints. Also, the map may rotate so that the
user's course on the map is always view-northward (i.e., to the top
of the device).
[0071] FIG. 5 shows a display for a move map dialog on a mobile
device. This functionality allows a user to call up a move map
dialog at any appropriate point when using the device, and to
select a new location on which to center the map. The entry may
simply include an address entered in a text entry box, as shown.
Also, a history may also be maintained so that a user can simply
select one of the recently used locations, without having to type
an entire address.
[0072] When a map is moved, the device or the remote system with
which the device is in communication may set an appropriate initial
level for the map. For example, where the address is a simple
street address, the zoom level may be very close. When the address
is as broad as a zip code, the zoom level may be selected so as to
substantially match that area.
[0073] FIG. 6a is a flow chart 600 showing actions for zooming and
panning a graphical display on a mobile device. The flow chart 600
shows actions that may occur like those for rendering the views
shown in FIGS. 1, 2a, and 2b above. At box 602, a location request
is initially received. The request may be received directly from a
user, such as by a client device, or may also be received at a
server providing mapping information. At box 604, the appropriate
zoom level for the request may be determined, and tiles for that
zoom level may be retrieved from a database of image tiles. The
tiles may be computed to be all tiles a certain distance on each
side of a point, such as a location provided in the location
request (which may be listed as a standard address, a GPS
coordinate, or another appropriate location descriptor). At box
606, the map tiles, or a portion of the map tiles (e.g., where
tiles beyond the edge of the allowable display area are clipped
off) are provided to a device (where a central server selects the
tiles) and are displayed on the device.
[0074] With the map displayed to a user, the user may be provided
with a number of options for interacting with the map. In this
example, three distinct map movement options are illustrated. A
first option involves panning the map, a second option involves
zooming in on the map, and a third option involves zooming out on
the map.
[0075] In the first, panning, option, a user makes a selection to
pan (box 608). The selection may involve, for example, pressing on
one side of a directional key, or by pressing an appropriately
numbered button on a telephone keypad. Such selection may cause the
map to immediately move one indexed position in the direction
selected (box 610). The selection may also cause the mobile device
to make a request for additional tiles to fill in the new space
(box 612). That new space may be a blank area on the screen or a
blank area off but near the screen, such as where tiles around the
screen have previously been loaded, and the pan then requires
additional tiles around the newly displayed screen to be loaded in
anticipation for another pan selection. Where appropriate, any
newly fetched tiles may be added to the display. The fetching of
tiles may also be delayed, such as to wait for a regeneration
selection from a user. Such an approach may be appropriate, for
example, where there is a per-communication charge for a system or
where latency is large so that a single transmission is preferred
only after a final decision has been made about the appropriate
location for the pan. At box 630, the user is then provided an
opportunity to pan again or to carry out other actions.
[0076] The second option--zooming in--occurs in response to a "zoom
in" command (box 614), which may be sensed, for example, from the
pressing of the center of a directional key. Upon receiving the
command, a zoom box outline may be drawn over the map, such as in
an area circumscribing a predetermined portion in the center of the
map and having a shape that matches the shape of the overall
display (box 616). The regeneration of the map at the zoomed in
resolution may again occur after identification of a zoomed in
level, or may await an explicit command for regeneration from the
user (box 618). The regeneration, when it occurs, may happen by
replacing the prior tile with new, higher resolution, tiles as the
new tiles are retrieved (box 620). (The tiles may be higher
resolution in that they could have more pixels, or they may have
the same number of pixels, but may show less area and more detail
because they show only a zoomed in view). To make the transition
smoother, the original tiles may initially be upscaled, and may
then be replaced with new zoomed in tiles, so that initially, a
slightly blurred version of the view is shown, and is then replaced
with a sharper version. Again, with the new view of the map
displayed, the user may be given the opportunity to make other
selections.
[0077] In the third option--zooming out--a user again starts the
process by making a zoom out selection, which may occur, for
example, by pressing an appropriately configured softkey, as shown
above (box 622). The user's device may immediately re-render the
existing tiles at a reduced size in a zoon box (as shown above),
such as by removing pixels from the original tile images (box 624).
Again, the activation of the zoom process may occur immediately or
otherwise automatically, or may await explicit activation by the
user (box 626). When the zoom is activated, the device may cause a
central server to select from storage appropriate tiles at the new
zoom level, and to deliver the tiles to the device for subsequent
display of the tiles (box 628). The display may again be smoothed
such as by gradually replacing the existing reduced tiles, with the
new tiles.
[0078] FIG. 6b is a flow chart 636 showing actions for displaying
menus on a mobile device. The flow chart 636 shows actions that may
occur like those for rendering the views shown in FIGS. 2b, 3b, and
4b above. In the initial steps, a map is displayed for a defined
area, such as by first receiving a location request (box 638). The
request may be automatically generated such as by a GPS-enabled
device, or may involve manual input, such as the entry by a user of
a street address or selection by a user of a listed address. A zoom
level for the location may then be determined and tiles for a map
at that location at the appropriate zoom level retrieved (such as
by a central server) (box 640). The zoom level may be determined by
various appropriate mechanisms, such as by determining the
geographic breadth of the provided address. For example, if the
address is for an entire zip code, the entire area for the zip code
may be displayed, and a zoom level that will permit display of the
entire zip code may be selected (box 642).
[0079] With the map displayed, a user may make a selection to have
a pop over menu displayed on top of the map (boxes 644, 646). The
menu may provide the user with a variety of choices. Here, each
choice is indexed to a key on a telephone key pad for easy entry by
a user, and is shown in flow chart 636 by a numbered circle. The
first selection is "search," which will cause the search box shown
in FIG. 6c to be displayed (box 648). The second selection is
"directions," which will cause the directions entry box shown in
FIG. 6d to be displayed (box 650). The third selection is "move
map," which will cause the map selections box shown in FIG. 6a to
be displayed (box 652), as will the sixth selection of "zoom." (box
656).
[0080] Other selections involve lesser interaction with the user.
For example, selection of the fourth option, "satellite/map view,"
causes the form of information displayed in the map to change to a
satellite photo if it is presently a map, and vice-versa (box 654).
The label in the menu for this selection will also alternate to the
choice that is opposite to what is currently displayed in the map
when a selection occurs. Selection of the seventh option, "help,"
will cause a help menu to be displayed (box 658) in a well-known
manner, which may include a searchable index of help topics.
Likewise, selection of the eighth option, "quit," will return the
device from the mapping application or function to its standard
functions (box 660).
[0081] FIG. 6c is a flow chart 662 showing the display of local
search results on a mobile device. The flow chart 662 shows actions
that may occur like those for rendering the views shown in FIGS. 3a
and 3b above. When a user makes a selection to conduct a local
search (i.e., a search whose results are connected with a location,
such as a country, town, or zip code), the user's device may
display a search box, and the box may be displayed over a map if
the user was previously using a mapping function (box 664). The
user may then provide a query to the device and the device may in
turn encode the query and provide it to a central search engine
server (box 666). For example, a user may enter "Chinese food" and
the user's device may append a default location (such as the user's
home zip code, or the coordinates for the center of the currently
displayed map) and submit the combined query to a search engine's
"local search" function. The server may generate search results
(e.g., information about Chinese restaurants in the user's home
area) along with location information (e.g., coordinates)
associated with each result, and may transmit the results to the
device (box 668).
[0082] Upon receiving the results, the user's device may display
the results over the existing map, or may generate a new map if the
results correlate to a different area. The display of the results
may, to minimize clutter on the map, involve displaying icons
representative of each result at or near the location of the
result, if the location can be determined. Each icon may be
provided with a label that corresponds to a key on the device, such
as the numbers 1-9 or 0-9 for a cellular telephone (box 670). Such
a correlation may make selection of one or more results for further
review much easier for the user. At box 672, a user selects a
numbered button corresponding to one of the displayed search
results, and detail about the result is displayed, such as in a
bubble pointing to the result icon.
[0083] At box 674, a user further makes a selection to see
additional information about the particular result and/or to have
access to selections for taking action with respect to the result.
For example, the user may be provided with a clink-to-call link or
icon (box 676), whose selection may cause the device to place a
telephone call to a telephone number associated with the search
result (box 678). The user may also choose to have directions
generated from their current location (e.g., the center of the map)
to the particular result (box 680). The user may also choose to
conduct a new search or to edit the existing search (box 682).
[0084] FIG. 6d is a flow chart 683 showing actions for displaying
driving directions on a mobile device. The flow chart 683 shows
actions that may occur like those for rendering the views shown in
FIGS. 4a and 4b above. A user may first choose to have a directions
menu displayed (box 684). The user may then choose to enter first
and second endpoints for the directions (boxes 685, 686). As
explained above, the endpoints may be entered as the current center
of the map, as an address, as a "recent places" selection, or by
other appropriate mechanisms. The second endpoint may be entered in
similar manners. With the two endpoints selected, the device may
submit, such as to a central server, a request for generating a
route, and may receive a response with route information (box 687).
The route information may be provided in a manner that the route
may be overlaid over a map for display to the user. As with other
actions disclosed herein, such actions may be implemented using
Java, Javascript, XML, or a combination such as AJAX. Indicators
for discrete waypoints along the path may also be provided, so that
an icon can be displayed at each waypoint, and a detail bubble may
be displayed when traversing the route from waypoint to waypoint.
The route may then be displayed as an overlay on a map for a
portion or all of the route (which may depend on the zoom level),
and an overview showing the approximate distance and travel time
for the route, may also be displayed (box 688). Finally, travel
along the route may be animated, either automatically (e.g., using
GPS signals from the user's device as the device travels the route)
or manually (e.g., as the user presses back and forward buttons to
move from one waypoint to the next). As each waypoint is approached
or traversed, an information bubble may pop up to show text for the
directions to the next waypoint (box 689).
[0085] FIG. 7 shows a schematic diagram of a system 700 for
providing mapping information. The system 700 may include a mapping
server 708 in communication with a number of remote mobile devices,
such as mobile device 702. The communication may occur through an
appropriately configured network, such as the internet 706, and one
or more private networks, such as cellular data network 704.
Mapping server 708 may communicate through interface 710, which may
include, for example, one or more servers, such as web servers.
Interface 710 may receive messages from devices such as device 702,
interpret the messages, and route them as appropriate to other
components in mapping server 708 (which itself may include one or
more servers).
[0086] A location resolver 712 in mapping server 708 may receive
information such as an English-language address, parse the address,
and convert it to a location in a common format, such as GPS
coordinates. The location resolver may then communicate with a map
generator 714, which may be configured to determine which tiles, of
various tiles stored by system 700, to be displayed by device 702.
For example, map generator 714 may determine an appropriate zoom
level for a map and may determine which tiles associated with that
zoom level are needed for a proper display of the map. Map
generator 714 may then make a request to tile selector 718 for the
needed tiles. The tiles may be stored, for example, in a full tiles
database 720 and a mobile tiles database 722. Such storage may
allow the various components of mapping server 708 to serve both
mobile and desktop clients as is needed. Information such as header
information may be analyzed to determine if a client is mobile or
non-mobile. Similar information can be provided from both forms of
clients (e.g., the location information and requests may be
formatted in similar manners) so that the same modules may server
both to the extent possible.
[0087] Map generator 714 may also be in communication with search
engine 716, and may receive information, such as local search
results, from search engine 716. The search results may also
include location information associated with each search result, so
that map generator 714 may generate an icon to be overlaid on a map
in the correct location for the result. In addition, map generator
may reformat textual information for each search result, such as by
selecting information for balloons to be displayed with each
result, and formatting the information appropriately.
[0088] The search engine 716 may draw on a number of databases in
providing information to the device 702, either directly or through
map generator 714. For example, the search engine 716 may provide a
search on one or more corpuses of documents, such as stored in
corpus database 726. The corpuses may be divided in several
manners, such as separate corpuses for web search, local search,
image search, blog search, shopping search, book search, and the
like. To increase the efficiency of searching, an index database
728 may be provided to serve as an index of the documents in one or
more corpuses. In addition, an ads database 724 may also be
provided, and may be accessed by search engine 716 to produce
advertisements that relate to entered search queries. Such
advertisements may be delivered with mapping information and/or
with search results, and may be displayed as appropriate on device
702.
[0089] FIG. 8 shows a screen shot of a mobile local search sign up
page. The display shows an exemplary screen of a mobile phone,
along with directions for using the system. A "Get Started" button
may be selected to take the user to a screen that allows
configuration of particular software for their system.
[0090] FIG. 9 shows a screen shot of a mobile Local search device
selection page. This particular page has been almost fully filled
out by a user. In general, the leftmost of the four displayed
columns is the only column shown. Once a user selects a carrier,
the second column fills with phone brands supported by that
carrier. The user may then select one of those brands, which will
cause the third column to fill with available models from that
manufacturer. Where an image of a particular model is available,
the picture may be shown, as mobile phone customers often do not
know the model number of their device, but can easily pick it up
and compare it to the images on the screen. The user may also
change the columns while filling out the form, and the dependent
columns to the right will be changed to reflect, e.g., the models
of phones available from the newly-selected manufacturer.
[0091] FIG. 10 shows a screen shot of a mobile local search device
selection page. This screen may be displayed after the user has
chosen to proceed from the screen of FIG. 7. The screen explains to
a user how to access the data files the user will need to use
services like those described above. A subsequent visit by the user
with the mobile device may result in code (e.g., for J2ME) being
downloaded to the user's device.
[0092] FIG. 11 shows block diagrams of general computing systems
800, 850. Computing device 800 is intended to represent various
forms of digital computers, such as laptops, desktops,
workstations, personal digital assistants, servers, blade servers,
mainframes, and other appropriate computers. Computing device 850
is intended to represent various forms of mobile devices, such as
personal digital assistants, cellular telephones, smartphones, and
other similar computing devices. The components shown here, their
connections and relationships, and their functions, are meant to be
exemplary only, and are not meant to limit implementations of the
inventions described and/or claimed in this document.
[0093] Computing device 800 includes a processor 802, memory 804, a
storage device 806, a high-speed interface 808 connecting to memory
804 and high-speed expansion ports 810, and a low speed interface
812 connecting to low speed bus 814 and storage device 806. Each of
the components 802, 804, 806, 808, 810, and 812, are interconnected
using various busses, and may be mounted on a common motherboard or
in other manners as appropriate. The processor 802 can process
instructions for execution within the computing device 800,
including instructions stored in the memory 804 or on the storage
device 806 to display graphical information for a GUI on an
external input/output device, such as display 816 coupled to high
speed interface 808. In other implementations, multiple processors
and/or multiple buses may be used, as appropriate, along with
multiple memories and types of memory. Also, multiple computing
devices 800 may be connected, with each device providing portions
of the necessary operations (e.g., as a server bank, a group of
blade servers, or a multi-processor system).
[0094] The memory 804 stores information within the computing
device 800. In one implementation, the memory 804 is a
computer-readable medium. In one implementation, the memory 804 is
a volatile memory unit or units. In another implementation, the
memory 804 is a non-volatile memory unit or units.
[0095] The storage device 806 is capable of providing mass storage
for the computing device 800. In one implementation, the storage
device 806 is a computer-readable medium. In various different
implementations, the storage device 806 may be a floppy disk
device, a hard disk device, an optical disk device, or a tape
device, a flash memory or other similar solid state memory device,
or an array of devices, including devices in a storage area network
or other configurations. In one implementation, a computer program
product is tangibly embodied in an information carrier. The
computer program product contains instructions that, when executed,
perform one or more methods, such as those described above. The
information carrier is a computer- or machine-readable medium, such
as the memory 804, the storage device 806, memory on processor 802,
or a propagated signal.
[0096] The high speed controller 808 manages bandwidth-intensive
operations for the computing device 800, while the low speed
controller 812 manages lower bandwidth-intensive operations. Such
allocation of duties is exemplary only. In one implementation, the
high-speed controller 808 is coupled to memory 804, display 816
(e.g., through a graphics processor or accelerator), and to
high-speed expansion ports 810, which may accept various expansion
cards (not shown). In the implementation, low-speed controller 812
is coupled to storage device 806 and low-speed expansion port 814.
The low-speed expansion port, which may include various
communication ports (e.g., USB, Bluetooth, Ethernet, wireless
Ethernet) may be coupled to one or more input/output devices, such
as a keyboard, a pointing device, a scanner, or a networking device
such as a switch or router, e.g., through a network adapter.
[0097] The computing device 800 may be implemented in a number of
different forms, as shown in the Figure. For example, it may be
implemented as a standard server 820, or multiple times in a group
of such servers. It may also be implemented as part of a rack
server system 824. In addition, it may be implemented in a personal
computer such as a laptop computer 822. Alternatively, components
from computing device 800 may be combined with other components in
a mobile device (not shown), such as device 850. Each of such
devices may contain one or more of computing device 800, 850, and
an entire system may be made up of multiple computing devices 800,
850 communicating with each other.
[0098] Computing device 850 includes a processor 852, memory 864,
an input/output device such as a display 854, a communication
interface 866, and a transceiver 868, among other components. The
device 850 may also be provided with a storage device, such as a
microdrive or other device, to provide additional storage. Each of
the components 850, 852, 864, 854, 866, and 868, are interconnected
using various buses, and several of the components may be mounted
on a common motherboard or in other manners as appropriate.
[0099] The processor 852 can process instructions for execution
within the computing device 850, including instructions stored in
the memory 864. The processor may also include separate analog and
digital processors. The processor may provide, for example, for
coordination of the other components of the device 850, such as
control of user interfaces, applications run by device 850, and
wireless communication by device 850.
[0100] Processor 852 may communicate with a user through control
interface 858 and display interface 856 coupled to a display 854.
The display 854 may be, for example, a TFT LCD display or an OLED
display, or other appropriate display technology. The display
interface 856 may comprise appropriate circuitry for driving the
display 854 to present graphical and other information to a user.
The control interface 858 may receive commands from a user and
convert them for submission to the processor 852. In addition, an
external interface 862 may be provide in communication with
processor 852, so as to enable near area communication of device
850 with other devices. External interface 862 may provide, for
example, for wired communication (e.g., via a docking procedure) or
for wireless communication (e.g., via Bluetooth or other such
technologies).
[0101] The memory 864 stores information within the computing
device 850. In one implementation, the memory 864 is a
computer-readable medium. In one implementation, the memory 864 is
a volatile memory unit or units. In another implementation, the
memory 864 is a non-volatile memory unit or units. Expansion memory
874 may also be provided and connected to device 850 through
expansion interface 872, which may include, for example, a SIMM
card interface. Such expansion memory 874 may provide extra storage
space for device 850, or may also store applications or other
information for device 850. Specifically, expansion memory 874 may
include instructions to carry out or supplement the processes
described above, and may include secure information also. Thus, for
example, expansion memory 874 may be provide as a security module
for device 850, and may be programmed with instructions that permit
secure use of device 850. In addition, secure applications may be
provided via the SIMM cards, along with additional information,
such as placing identifying information on the SIMM card in a
non-hackable manner.
[0102] The memory may include for example, flash memory and/or MRAM
memory, as discussed below. In one implementation, a computer
program product is tangibly embodied in an information carrier. The
computer program product contains instructions that, when executed,
perform one or more methods, such as those described above. The
information carrier is a computer- or machine-readable medium, such
as the memory 864, expansion memory 874, memory on processor 852,
or a propagated signal.
[0103] Device 850 may communicate wirelessly through communication
interface 866, which may include digital signal processing
circuitry where necessary. Communication interface 866 may provide
for communications under various modes or protocols, such as GSM
voice calls, SMS, EMS, or MMS messaging, CDMA, TDMA, PDC, WCDMA,
CDMA2000, or GPRS, among others. Such communication may occur, for
example, through radio-frequency transceiver 868. In addition,
short-range communication may occur, such as using a Bluetooth,
WiFi, or other such transceiver (not shown). In addition, GPS
receiver module 870 may provide additional wireless data to device
850, which may be used as appropriate by applications running on
device 850.
[0104] Device 850 may also communication audibly using audio codec
860, which may receive spoken information from a user and convert
it to usable digital information. Audio codex 860 may likewise
generate audible sound for a user, such as through a speaker, e.g.,
in a handset of device 850. Such sound may include sound from voice
telephone calls, may include recorded sound (e.g., voice messages,
music files, etc.) and may also include sound generated by
applications operating on device 850.
[0105] The computing device 850 may be implemented in a number of
different forms, as shown in the Figure. For example, it may be
implemented as a cellular telephone 880. It may also be implemented
as part of a smartphone 882, personal digital assistant, or other
similar mobile device.
[0106] This document describes features of a user interface related
to local search processes, which may be implemented in J2ME, BREW,
or another applicable language or environment, such as PocketPC. In
addition, although the Figures show a simple map display, the
actual map may differ from that shown. For example, satellite
images for comparable geographic areas may be shown instead of the
map. Also, a "hybrid" display may be used, where the background is
satellite images, with an overlay of streets in particular drawn
colors with labels.
[0107] Also, the images displayed for mobile devices may be altered
from those shown on full-featured computers. In particular, because
the screens on mobile devices are generally smaller than those on
full-featured computers, labels (such as street names laid over the
corresponding lines that represent the streets) may be repeated
more often for mobile images to ensure that the labels appear on
the smaller mobile displays.
[0108] The remote system may be configured so as to recognize
requests from mobile devices and to respond accordingly. For
example, header information in the requests may identify certain
devices as mobile, and the system may use that information to route
the requests to certain web servers or to employ certain formatting
in a web server. For example, a system may select different tiles
having more frequently repeating label information for mobile
devices, as explained above. The system may also format the
information using a mobile format such as WML, iMode, or xHTML.
[0109] The systems and all of the functional operations described
in this specification can be implemented in digital electronic
circuitry, or in computer software, firmware, or hardware,
including the structural means disclosed in this specification and
structural equivalents thereof, or in combinations of them. The
techniques can be implemented as one or more computer program
products, i.e., one or more computer programs tangibly embodied in
an information carrier, e.g., in a machine readable storage device
or in a propagated signal, for execution by, or to control the
operation of, data processing apparatus, e.g., a programmable
processor, a computer, or multiple computers. A computer program
(also known as a program, software, software application, or code)
can be written in any form of programming language, including
compiled or interpreted languages, and it can be deployed in any
form, including as a stand alone program or as a module, component,
subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing
environment. A computer program does not necessarily correspond to
a file. A program can be stored in a portion of a file that holds
other programs or data, in a single file dedicated to the program
in question, or in multiple coordinated files (e.g., files that
store one or more modules, sub programs, or portions of code). A
computer program can be deployed to be executed on one computer or
on multiple computers at one site or distributed across multiple
sites and interconnected by a communication network.
[0110] The processes and logic flows described in this
specification can be performed by one or more programmable
processors executing one or more computer programs to perform the
described functions by operating on input data and generating
output. The processes and logic flows can also be performed by, and
apparatus can be implemented as, special purpose logic circuitry,
e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC
(application specific integrated circuit).
[0111] Processors suitable for the execution of a computer program
include, by way of example, both general and special purpose
microprocessors, and any one or more processors of any kind of
digital computer. Generally, the processor will receive
instructions and data from a read only memory or a random access
memory or both. The essential elements of a computer are a
processor for executing instructions and one or more memory devices
for storing instructions and data. Generally, a computer will also
include, or be operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer
data to, or both, one or more mass storage devices for storing
data, e.g., magnetic, magneto optical disks, or optical disks.
Information carriers suitable for embodying computer program
instructions and data include all forms of non volatile memory,
including by way of example semiconductor memory devices, e.g.,
EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, e.g.,
internal hard disks or removable disks; magneto optical disks; and
CD ROM and DVD-ROM disks. The processor and the memory can be
supplemented by, or incorporated in, special purpose logic
circuitry.
[0112] To provide for interaction with a user, aspects of the
described techniques can be implemented on a computer having a
display device, e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid
crystal display) monitor, for displaying information to the user
and a keyboard and a pointing device, e.g., a mouse or a trackball,
by which the user can provide input to the computer. Other kinds of
devices can be used to provide for interaction with a user as well;
for example, feedback provided to the user can be any form of
sensory feedback, e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or
tactile feedback; and input from the user can be received in any
form, including acoustic, speech, or tactile input.
[0113] The techniques 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, or any combination of 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.
[0114] 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.
[0115] A number of embodiments of the invention have been
described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various
modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and
scope of the invention. For example, although particular graphical
representations were shown as exemplary in the Figures, other
representations that are helpful to a user may also be employed.
Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the
following claims.
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