Methods and apparatus for associating mapping functionality and information in contact lists of mobile communication devices
A mobile communication device stores a contact list which includes a plurality of contacts, and identifies a user selection to map a location of a selected contact. In response, the device reads an address from an address field of the selected contact, sends to an address geocoding server the address with a request for latitude and longitude coordinates, and receives from the address geocoding server the coordinates. When map rendering data corresponding to the coordinates is cached in memory, the device renders a map based on the map rendering data. Otherwise, the device sends to a map server the coordinates with a request for context-filtered map data, which is based at least in part on a user context independent of the location of the device. The device receives the context-filtered map data, and renders a map based on the received context-filtered map data.
1. A method of displaying a map in a mobile communication device having a memory storing a contact list, and a display, the method comprising:
receiving an instruction to map a location of an address of a contact in the contact list;
in response to the instruction, identifying an address of the location in one or more address fields of the contact, sending, via a wireless communication network, a request for location coordinates with the address as an input, and receiving, via the wireless communication network, geographic coordinate information of the location in response to the request for the location coordinates;
when map rendering data for the location corresponding to the geographic coordinate information is cached in the memory of the mobile communication device, causing a map for the location corresponding to the geographic coordinate information to be rendered in the display based on the map rendering data cached in the memory; and
otherwise, when the map rendering data for the location corresponding to the geographic coordinate information is not cached in the memory of the mobile communication device,
sending, via the wireless communication network, a request for a maplet index for map data with the geographic coordinate information of the location as input, the maplet index comprising a table of contents of available map data without the map data;
receiving, via the wireless communication network, the maplet index;
selecting, based on the maplet index, a subset of map data comprising less data than is listed in the table of contents of the maplet index for the location corresponding to the geographic coordinate information;
requesting, via the wireless communication network, based on the selecting, the subset of the map data; and
causing the map with the subset of the map data to be rendered in the display.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a second instruction to map a location of a second address of the contact;
in response to the user input request instruction, identifying an address of the location of the second address in one or more address fields of the selected contact, sending, via a wireless communication network, a request for location coordinates with the second address as an input, and receiving, via the wireless communication network, geographic coordinate information of the location of the second address in response to the request for the location coordinates;
when second map rendering data for the location of the second address corresponding to the geographic coordinate information is cached in the memory of the mobile communication device, causing a map for the location corresponding to the geographic coordinate information to be rendered in the display based on the second map rendering data cached in the memory; and
otherwise, when the second map rendering data for the location of the second address corresponding to the geographic coordinate information is not cached in the memory of the mobile communication device, sending, via the wireless communication network, a request for map data with the geographic coordinate information of the location of the second address as input, receiving, via the wireless communication network, the second map rendering data for the location of the second address corresponding to the geographic coordinate information in response to the request for the map data, and causing the map to be rendered in the display based on the second map rendering data received via the wireless communication network in response to the request for the map data.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request is a request for context-filtered map data based on a user context, the user context comprising information regarding a user of the mobile communication device or a traveling speed of the mobile communication device.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein
the address is designated as a home address and the second address is designated as a work address.
5. 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.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile communication device comprises a cellular telephone communicatively coupled to a cellular telecommunications network.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile communication device communicates with the map server via the wireless communication network.
8. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer instructions which, when executed by one or more processors of the device, cause the one or more processor to perform a method, comprising:
receiving an instruction to map a location of an address of a contact in a contact list;
in response to the instruction, identifying an address of the location in one or more address fields of the contact, sending, via a wireless communication network, a request for location coordinates with the address as an input, and receiving, via the wireless communication network, geographic coordinate information of the location in response to the request for the location coordinates;
when map rendering data for the location corresponding to the geographic coordinate information is cached in the memory of the mobile communication device, causing a map for the location corresponding to the geographic coordinate information to be rendered in the display based on the map rendering data cached in the memory; and
otherwise, when the map rendering data for the location corresponding to the geographic coordinate information is not cached in the memory of the mobile communication device,
sending, via the wireless communication network, a request for a maplet index for map data with the geographic coordinate information of the location as input, the maplet index comprising a table of contents of available map data without the map data;
receiving, via the wireless communication network, the maplet index;
selecting, based on the maplet index, a subset of map data comprising less data than is listed in the table of contents of the maplet index for the location corresponding to the geographic coordinate information;
requesting, via the wireless communication network, based on the selecting, the subset of the map data; and
causing the map with the subset of the map data to be rendered in the display.
9. A mobile communication device, comprising:
a radio frequency (RF) transceiver operative for communications with a wireless network;
a display;
a memory storing a contact list including a plurality of contacts;
one or more processors coupled to the RF transceiver, the display, and the memory;
the one or more processors being configured to:
receive an instruction to map a location of an address of a contact in the contact list;
in response to the instruction, identify an address of the location in one or more address fields of the contact, send, via a wireless communication network, a request for location coordinates with the address as an input, and receive, via the wireless communication network, geographic coordinate information of the location in response to the request for the location coordinates;
when map rendering data for the location corresponding to the geographic coordinate information is cached in the memory of the mobile communication device, cause a map for the location corresponding to the geographic coordinate information to be rendered in the display based on the map rendering data cached in the memory; and
otherwise, when the map rendering data for the location corresponding to the geographic coordinate information is not cached in the memory of the mobile communication device,
send, via the wireless communication network, a request for a maplet index for map data with the geographic coordinate information of the location as input, the maplet index comprising a table of contents of available map data without the map data,
receive, via the wireless communication network, the maplet index,
selecting, based on the maplet index, a subset of map data comprising less data than is listed in the table of contents of the maplet index for the location corresponding to the geographic coordinate information,
request, via the wireless communication network, based on the selecting of the subset, the subset of the map data, and
cause the map with the subset of the map data to be rendered in the display.
10. The mobile communication device of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
receive an instruction to map a location of a second address of the contact;
in response to the instruction, identify an address of the location of the second address in one or more address fields of the selected contact, send, via a wireless communication network, a request for location coordinates with the second address as an input, and receive, via the wireless communication network, geographic coordinate information of the location of the second address in response to the request for the location coordinates;
when second map rendering data for the location of the second address corresponding to the geographic coordinate information is cached in the memory of the mobile communication device, cause a map for the location corresponding to the geographic coordinate information to be rendered in the display based on the second map rendering data cached in the memory; and
otherwise, when the second map rendering data for the location of the second address corresponding to the geographic coordinate information is not cached in the memory of the mobile communication device, send, via the wireless communication network, a request for map data with the geographic coordinate information of the location as of the second address input, receive, via the wireless communication network, the second map rendering data for the location of the second address corresponding to the geographic coordinate information in response to the request for the map data, and cause the map to be rendered in the display based on the second map rendering data received via the wireless communication network in response to the request for the map data.
11. The mobile communication device of claim 9 , wherein the request is a request for context-filtered map data based on a user context, the user context comprising information regarding a user of the mobile communication device or a traveling speed of the mobile communication device.
12. The mobile communication device of claim 10 , wherein
the address is designated as a home address and the second address is designated as a work address.
13. The mobile communication device of claim 9 , 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.
14. The mobile communication device of claim 7 , wherein the mobile communication device comprises a cellular telephone communicatively coupled to a cellular telecommunications network.
15. A communication system, comprising:
a wireless communication network;
a map server;
a mobile communication device operative for communications in the wireless communication network;
the mobile communication device having a processor and a memory storing a contact list, and being configured to:
receive an instruction to map a location of an address of the contact in the contact list;
in response to the instruction, identify an address of the location in one or more address fields of the contact, send, via a wireless communication network, a request for location coordinates with the address as an input, and receive, via the wireless communication network, geographic coordinate information of the location in response to the request for the location coordinates;
when map rendering data for the location corresponding to the geographic coordinate information is cached in the memory of the mobile communication device, cause a map for the location corresponding to the geographic coordinate information to be rendered in the display based on the map rendering data cached in the memory; and
otherwise, when the map rendering data for the location corresponding to the geographic coordinate information is not cached in the memory of the mobile communication device,
send, via the wireless communication network, a request for a maplet index for map data with the geographic coordinate information of the location as input, the maplet index comprising a table of contents of available map data without the map data,
receive, via the wireless communication network, the maplet index,
selecting, based on the maplet index, a subset of map data comprising less data than is listed in the table of contents of the maplet index for the location corresponding to the geographic coordinate information,
request, via the wireless communication network, based on the selecting of the subset, the subset of the map data, and
cause the map with the subset of the map data to be rendered in the display.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the geographic coordinate information is exposed for the contact in the at least one field of the contact list.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the geographic coordinate information is hidden for the contact in the at least one field of the contact list.