Methods and apparatus for associating mapping functionality and information in contact lists of mobile communication devices

1. A method performed by a mobile communication device, that is in communication with an address geocoding server and a map server via a wireless communication network, and having a user interface comprising a display, and a contact list, each contact being maintained in memory of the device in a data structure including an address field, but excluding any longitude and latitude coordinates of a location of the contact, the method comprising:

displaying a map of a location in the display;

receiving, via the user interface, a request to associate the location with a selected contact;

storing an address corresponding to the location in the address field of the selected contact;

identifying, via the user interface, a selection to map the location of the selected contact;

reading the address from the address field of the selected contact;

sending to the address geocoding server a request for latitude and longitude coordinates with the address as an input;

receiving from the address geocoding server the latitude and longitude coordinates;

when map rendering data corresponding to the received latitude and longitude coordinates is cached in the memory: rendering in the display a map corresponding to the received latitude and longitude coordinates;

otherwise, when map rendering data corresponding to the received latitude and longitude coordinates is not cached in the memory:

sending to the map server a request for context-filtered maplet data with the received latitude and longitude coordinates as the input, and further based on a user context which is independent of the location of the device;

receiving from the map server the context-filtered maplet data;

rendering a map in the display based on the received context-filtered maplet data; and

refraining from storing the latitude and longitude coordinates in the data structure of the selected contact.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user context comprises one of a traveling speed of the device and an occupation of a user of the device.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying, through the user interface, a selection of the selected contact; and

causing a menu of functions to be visually displayed in the display in response to the selection of the selected contact, the menu of functions including the mapping function for the selected contact.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying, through the user interface, a selection of the address of the selected contact; and

causing a menu of functions to be visually displayed in the display in response to the selection of the selected address, the menu of functions including the mapping function for the selected address.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying, through the user interface, a selection of the selected contact;

causing a menu of functions to be visually displayed in the display in response to the selection of the selected contact, the menu of functions including the mapping function for a first address and a second address of the selected contact; and

wherein identifying the selection of the mapping function is for one of the first address and the second address.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device is configured to operate in the wireless communication network for wireless telephony communications, and wherein each contact has at least one telephone number field for a telephone number, the method further comprising:

identifying, through the user interface, a selection of a telephone number of the selected contact for placing a telephone call; and

causing the telephone call to the telephone number to be initiated through the wireless communication network in response to the selection.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

discarding the latitude and longitude coordinates.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the contact list is part of one of the following:

an address book or list;

a telephone book or list;

an e-mail address book or list; and

a Subscriber Identity Module SIM or USIM book.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is embodied in a computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium and computer instructions stored in the computer readable medium which are executable by one or more processors of the device for performing the method.

10. A mobile communication device having a contact list, each contact being maintained in memory of the device in a data structure including an address field, but excluding any longitude and latitude coordinates of a location of the contact, the device comprising:

a wireless transceiver operative for communications with a wireless communication network;

one or more processors coupled to the wireless transceiver;

a user interface which includes a display;

the one or more processors being operative to:

cause a map of a location to be displayed in the display;

receive via the user interface a request to associate the location with a selected contact;

store an address corresponding to the location in the address field of the selected contact;

identify via the user interface a selection to map the location of the selected contact in the contact list;

read, by the one or more processors, the address from the address field of the selected contact;

send to an address geocoding server via the wireless transceiver a request for latitude and longitude coordinates with the address as an input;

receive from the address geocoding server via the wireless transceiver the latitude and longitude coordinates;

when map rendering data corresponding to the received latitude and longitude coordinates is cached in the memory render in the display a map corresponding to the received latitude and longitude coordinates;

otherwise, when map rendering data corresponding to the received latitude and longitude coordinates is not cached in the memory:

send to a map server via the wireless transceiver a request for context-filtered maplet data with the received latitude and longitude coordinates as an input, and further based on a user context which is independent of the location of the device;

receive from the map server via the wireless transceiver the context-filtered maplet data;

render a map in the display based on the received context-filtered maplet data; and

refrain from storing the latitude and longitude coordinates in the data structure of the selected contact.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the user context comprises one of a traveling speed of the device and an occupation of a user of the device.

12. The device of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are further operative to:

identify, through the user interface, a selection of the selected contact; and

cause a menu of functions to be visually displayed in the display in response to the selection of the selected contact, the menu of functions including the mapping function for the selected contact.

13. The device of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are further operative to:

identify, through the user interface, a selection of the address of the selected contact; and

cause a menu of functions to be visually displayed in the display in response to the selection of the selected address, the menu of functions including the mapping function for the selected address.

14. The device of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are further operative to:

discard the latitude and longitude coordinates.

15. The device of claim 10 , which is configured to operate in the wireless communication network for wireless telephony communications, and wherein each contact has at least one telephone number field for a telephone number, and the one or more processors are further operative to:

identify, through the user interface, a selection of a telephone number of the selected contact for placing a telephone call; and

cause the telephone call to the telephone number to be initiated through the wireless communication network in response to the selection.

16. The device of claim 10 , wherein the mobile communication device is configured to operate in the wireless communication network for wireless message communications, wherein each contact has at least one electronic mail (e-mail) address field for an e-mail address, and the one or more processors are further operative to:

identify, through the user interface, a selection of an e-mail address of the selected contact for sending an e-mail message; and

insert the e-mail address as a destination address of the e-mail message in response to the selection.

17. The device of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are further operative to discard the latitude and longitude coordinates.

18. The device of claim 10 , wherein the contact list is part of one of the following:

an address book or list;

a telephone book or list;

an e-mail address book or list; and

a Subscriber Identity Module SIM or USIM book.