Location based wireless collaborative environment with a visual user interface
A wireless networked device incorporating a display, a video camera and a geo-location system receives geo-located data messages from a server system. Messages can be viewed by panning the device, revealing the message's real world location as icons and text overlaid on top of the camera input on the display. The user can reply to the message from her location, add data to an existing message at its original location, send new messages to other users of the system or place a message at a location for other users. World Wide Web geo-located data can be explored using the system's user interface as a browser. The server system uses the physical location of the receiving device to limit messages and data sent to each device according to range and filtering criteria, and can determine line of sight between the device and each actual message to simulate occlusion effects.
1. A method for wireless collaboration, the method comprising:
sending an update request from a first device to a message server, the update request including first location data associated with a current position of the first device;
displaying on a screen of the first device an image captured by a camera of the first device;
receiving from the message server a first message, the first message originated by a second device and including second location data independent of location of the second device and describing a location associated with the first message;
determining, by the first device, whether a location identified by the second location data is visible on the displayed image captured by the camera of the first device; and
responsive to the identified location being visible on the displayed image, rendering at least a portion of the first message on the screen of the first device at a point overlaying the position of the identified location.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the update request includes a second message, the second message addressed to a third device.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the update request includes a second message, the second message addressed to a plurality of devices.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein rendering the first message on the screen of the first device further comprises displaying an icon at the location of the first message.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein rendering the first message on the screen of the first device further comprises displaying text at the location of the first message.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the text includes a sender of the first message.
7. The method of claim 5 wherein the text includes a subject of the first message.
8. The method of claim 5 wherein the text includes a time of the first message.
9. The method of claim 5 wherein the text includes a range from a current location of the first device to the location of the first message.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the location of the first message includes latitude and longitude coordinates.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein the location of the first message includes elevation coordinates.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein the location of the first message includes geolocation tags.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the geolocation tags are specified using XML.
14. The method of claim 1 wherein the update request further includes a maximum range, and a distance from the current position of the first device to the location associated with the first message is less than the maximum range.
15. A device for wireless collaboration, the device comprising:
a geolocation device adapted to determine a current position of the device;
a video camera adapted to capture an image;
a display screen, adapted to display the image captured by the video camera;
a wireless network interface adapted to send an update request from the device to a message server, the update request including the current position of the device determined by the geolocation device, and further adapted to receive from the message server a first message, the first message originated by a second device and including second location data associated with the first message;
a client message management module, adapted to determine whether a location identified by the second location data is visible on the image captured by the video camera; and
a graphics rendering engine, adapted to render at least a portion of the first message on the display screen at a point overlaying the position of the identified location, responsive to a determination by the client message management module that the location identified by the second location data is visible on the image captured by the video camera.
16. The device of claim 15 , wherein the wireless network interface is further adapted to include in the update request a second message, the second message addressed to a third device.
17. The device of claim 15 , wherein the wireless network interface is further adapted to include in the update request a second message, the second message addressed to a plurality of devices.
18. The device of claim 15 wherein the rendered portion of the first message includes an icon at the location of the first message.
19. The device of claim 15 wherein the rendered portion of the first message includes test at the location of the first message.
20. The device of claim 19 wherein the text includes a sender of the first message.
21. The device of claim 19 wherein the text includes a subject of the first message.
22. The device of claim 19 wherein the text includes a time of the first message.
23. The device of claim 19 wherein the text includes a range from a current location of the first device to the location of the first message.
24. The device of claim 15 wherein the second location data includes latitude and longitude coordinates.
25. The device of claim 24 wherein the second location data includes elevation coordinates.
26. The device of claim 24 wherein the second location data includes geolocation tags.
27. The device of claim 15 wherein the wireless network interface is further adapted to include in the update request a maximum range, and a distance from the current position of the device to the location identified by the second location data is less than the maximum range.
28. A computer program product for wireless collaboration, the computer program product stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and including instructions adapted to cause a processor to carry out the steps of:
sending an update request from a first device to a message server, the update request including first location data associated with a current position of the first device;
displaying on a screen of the first device an image captured by a camera of the first device;
receiving from the message server a first message, the first message originated by a second device and including second location data independent of a location of the second device and describing a location associated with the first message;
determining, by the first device, whether a location identified by the second location data is visible on the displayed image captured by the camera of the first device; and
responsive to the identified location being visible on the displayed image, rendering at least a portion of the first message on the screen of the first device at a point overlaying the position of the identified location.