Patent Application
20120236835
The invention disclosed herein is related to recording a geographical location using a mobile communication device. More particularly, the invention relates to using a location or positioning system such as the global positioning system (GPS), or Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), or Beidou Satellite Navigation System, or a wireless local area networking system (WLAN and WiFi) or other equivalent systems and services, in cooperation with a triggering or initializing mechanism to automatically store a geographical location as determined by a mobile communication device.
Conventional geographical location applications for mobile communication devices typically reside in the processor of the mobile communication device after having been downloaded to the mobile communication device. To operate the geographical location applications, a user of the mobile communication device must manually open the application each time the user desires to know her geographical location. In addition, a user has to remember to open the application to initialize or trigger the searching function of the geographical location application. Afterwards, a user has to select or command the geographical location application to retain the found geographical location. The aforementioned scenario can be inconvenient for a mother handling several small children in a large shopping complex parking lot.
As a result, additional innovation is needed to provide a method and system for recording a geographical location from a mobile communication device.
The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views, together with the detailed description below, are incorporated in and form part of the specification, and serve to further illustrate embodiments of concepts that include the claimed invention, and explain various principles and advantages of those embodiments.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
The method and system components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.
A method for recording a geographical location from a docked mobile communication device includes detecting whether a mobile communication device is communicatively coupled to a docking device; and also detecting that the mobile communication device has been communicatively uncoupled from the docking device. Finally, the method records the geographical location of the mobile communication device in stored memory. Notably, the method can employ the global positioning system (GPS), or Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), or Beidou Satellite Navigation System, or a wireless local-area networking standard (WLAN), such as the 802.11 family that use the same basic protocols, including 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n (Wi-Fi), or other equivalent systems or services to determine location and position of the mobile communication device.
Operation 120 illustrates that the mobile communication device begins to receive and store initial geographical location information or data. This operation can be accomplished by using the global positioning system (hereinafter referred to as GPS). In addition, the initial geographical location data can be also determined from the mobile communication device's accelerometer. A gyroscope on the mobile communication device may also provide geographical location data. Alternatively, the gyroscope, accelerometer, and GPS may work in combination with each other to provide geographical location data.
Operation 130 illustrates that the mobile communication device detects its uncoupling from the docking device at a first location. The uncoupling can be a physical separation from the docking device or can be a de-establishing operation that communicatively breaks the link with the docking device. The decoupling can be given by voice command or manual input on a user interface of the docking device. The process of decoupling the mobile communication device from the docking device establishes a first location where the decoupling happens.
Operation 140 illustrates the recording and storage of the first location subsequent to the decoupling process. The mobile device can record and store the data associated with the positioning of the first location locally in the memory of the mobile communication device, or alternatively the mobile communication device can transmit the data to a remote server for storage. One or more of the above operations may be repeated or performed in other embodiments of the invention. Accordingly, they will be labeled the same for consistency and clarity. Additional operations may be included as well, for example, notifying a user that a geographical location has been stored. The notification may comprise a textual notification, using one or more LEDs, an auditory output, a background color change for the display, a wallpaper change for the display or a haptic vibratory operation. Those skilled in the art recognize that this list is not exhaustive, but is illustrative that several notifications have been contemplated are equivalent in their purpose of alerting a user to the recordation and presence of geographical location information resulting from an uncoupling of the mobile communication device from the docking device.
An additional operation that may be employed is that of erasing the geographical location from the stored memory. This operation may sometimes be referred to as ‘flushing the memory’. The flushing of the memory may occur manually or automatically as determined by an elapsed time period or occurrence of a specified event, such as the recoupling of the mobile communication device to the docking device after an uncoupling event has been detected.
Operation 230 illustrates that the mobile communication device detects its uncoupling from the docking device at a second location different from the first location. The uncoupling can be a physical separation from the docking device or can be a de-establishing operation that communicatively breaks the link with the docking device. The decoupling can be given by voice command or manual input on a user interface of the docking device. The process of decoupling the mobile communication device from the docking device establishes a second location where the decoupling happens. The difference between the first location and the second location can be determined, for example, by using distance measurements, elapsed time, or some combination of the two.
Operation 240 illustrates the recording and storage of the second location subsequent to the decoupling process. The mobile device can record and store the data associated with the positioning of the second location locally in the memory of the mobile communication device, or alternatively the mobile communication device can transmit the data to a remote server for storage.
Regarding
Alternatively, operation 310 may result in a decision not to retain the first geographical location in memory. Consequently, operation 330 retains only the second geographical location. The second geographical location is labeled or marked for easy reference by the mobile communication device user.
Regarding
As exemplarily shown in
Referring to
Operation 530 enables the mobile communication device 1 to share its geographical location data about location i with a server or network. In operation 540, a second mobile communication device, mobile communication device 2, receives the geographical location data about location i. Similarly, other mobile communication devices, herein referred to as mobile communication device I, may also receive the geographical location data about location i.
Referring to
The machine may comprise a server computer, a client user computer, a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a personal digital assistant, a portable phone on a wireless or cellular network, a laptop computer, a smartphone either alone or combined with a display device, a control system, a network router, or any machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine, not to mention a mobile server. It will be understood by those ordinarily skilled in the art of mobile communication devices and associated networks, either wired or wireless that the mobile communication device described herein includes broadly any electronic device that provides voice, video, and data communication. Further, while a single machine is illustrated, the term “machine” shall also be taken to include any collection of machines that individually or jointly executed a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more methodologies discussed herein.
A docking device 610 is coupled or decoupled to a mobile communication device 620. Docking device is further illustrated in
Mobile communication device 620, as shown in
Mobile communication device 620 is further illustrated by example in
The control module 820 includes a central processor capable of running operations programs for the mobile communication device 620. Data module 830 includes a memory data storage unit capable of retaining and erasing geographical location information. The user interface module 840 shown in
A voice memo associated with the mobile communication device enables a user to record an auditory message as an input to the mobile communication device and play the recorded message as an output of the mobile communication device. Examples of auditory messages are the user's own voice, the ambient sounds of the geographical location (e.g., a train whistle, a church bell, children playing), or an official's voice (e.g., ticket agent, toll booth operator, police officer).
A text memo associated with the mobile communication device enables a user to record a textual message as an input to the mobile communication device. The text memo may include a detailed description of the geographical location, such as when the user writes down a parking garage location that includes a floor level, a parking space designator, and a color of an elevator door, along with payment options.
A picture memo associated with the mobile communication device enables a user to record an image as an input to the mobile communication device. The image may be a still or a moving image. As such, the image can comprise JPEG, JPEG2000, MPEG, MPEG4, GIF, TIFF, or other well-known image formats. The user may input a picture of the near surroundings of the recorded geographical location, such as landmarks, items of interest, local eateries, or persons associated with the geographical location (e.g, traffic officer, street vendors, street musicians).
The optional memos voice, text, and picture are displayed as part of a user interface for the mobile communication device. Additional information may be appended to the memos as well, for example, a time stamp, region information such as county, state, or city information. When the user desires to retrieve the recorded geographical location the memo information with the user's detailed information is retrieved along with geographical location information such as distance, directional information, sonar-like sounds having different frequencies for indicating a target location, and GPS data.
Docking device 1200 also includes a latch 1220 that holds the mobile communication device within a cradle of docking device 1200. A rest 1230 provides additional support for the mobile communication device when it resides in a crade of the docking device 1200. The docking device 1200 may be employed in a vehicle such as an automobile, bus, van, boat, or it may be configured to adaptively fit on a motorcycle or a bicycle, for example.
In the foregoing specification, specific embodiments have been described. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of present teachings.
The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential features or elements of any or all the claims. The invention is defined solely by the appended claims including any amendments made during the pendency of this application and all equivalents of those claims as issued.
Moreover in this document, relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “has”, “having,” “includes”, “including,” “contains”, “containing” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has, includes, contains a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by “comprises . . . a”, “has . . . a”, “includes . . . a”, “contains . . . a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has, includes, contains the element. The terms “a” and “an” are defined as one or more unless explicitly stated otherwise herein. The terms “substantially”, “essentially”, “approximately”, “about” or any other version thereof, are defined as being close to as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, and in one non-limiting embodiment the term is defined to be within 10%, in another embodiment within 5%, in another embodiment within 1% and in another embodiment within 0.5%. The term “coupled” as used herein is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly and not necessarily mechanically. A device or structure that is “configured” in a certain way is configured in at least that way, but may also be configured in ways that are not listed.
It will be appreciated that some embodiments may be comprised of one or more generic or specialized processors (or “processing devices”) such as microprocessors, digital signal processors, customized processors and field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and unique stored program instructions or code (including both software and firmware) that control the one or more processors to implement, in conjunction with certain non-processor circuits, some, most, or all of the functions of the method and/or apparatus described herein. Alternatively, some or all functions could be implemented by a state machine that has no stored program instructions, or in one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), in which each function or some combinations of certain of the functions are implemented as custom logic. Of course, a combination of the two approaches could be used.
Moreover, an embodiment can be implemented as a non-transitory machine readable storage device or medium having computer readable code stored thereon for programming a computer (e.g., comprising a processor) to perform a method as described and claimed herein. Examples of such non-transitory machine readable storage devices or mediums include, but are not limited to, a hard disk, a CD-ROM, an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a PROM (Programmable Read Only Memory), an EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) and a Flash memory. Further, it is expected that one of ordinary skill, notwithstanding possibly significant effort and many design choices motivated by, for example, available time, current technology, and economic considerations, when guided by the concepts and principles disclosed herein will be readily capable of generating such software instructions and programs and ICs with minimal experimentation.
The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features are grouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.
