IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,615,257
Granted Patent B2
US 8,615,257 · App. 13/485,320 · Granted Dec 24, 2013

Data synchronization for devices supporting direction-based services

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,615,257
App. No.
13/485,320
Granted
Dec 24, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

With the addition of directional information and gesture based input in a location based services environment, a variety of service(s) can be provided on top of user identification or interaction with specific object(s) of interest. For instance, a device can interact with various endpoints of a direction-based location service and any of the content or other information exchanged between clients and services can be synchronized for efficient exchange of information and efficient utilization of network bandwidth and resources. For example, change input is received by a device that alters, deletes or augments dynamically updateable information associated with a point of interest and the changes resulting from the change input are synchronized from the mobile device to a location based network service. Optionally, the synchronization can be according to a knowledge exchange to identify what should be synchronized prior to transmitting the updates.

Claims (40)

1. A method for using an electronics device to selectively utilize different display formats to display point of interest information for a set of one or more points of interest depending upon how many points of interest there are in the set, the method comprising:

receiving position information and direction information of the electronics device;

using an intersection algorithm to identify a set of one or more points of interest that correspond to stored point of interest information;

subsequent to identifying the set of one or more points of interest, determining whether the set of one or more points of interest is limited to only a single point of interest or, alternatively, whether the set of one or more points of interest includes a plurality of points of interest;

displaying the set of one or more points of interest in a full view when the set of one or more points of interest is determined to be limited to only the single point of interest and in direct response to determining that the set of one or more points of interest is limited to only the single point of interest, and

displaying the set of one or more points of interest in a 3-D view when the set of one or more points of interest is determined to include the plurality of points of interest and in direct response to determining that the set of one or more points of interest include the plurality of points of interest;

such that the type of view used to display the set of one or more points of interest is directly dependent upon whether the set of one or more points of interest is determined to be limited to only a single point of interest or, alternatively, to include a plurality of points of interest.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further includes using a motion component of the electronics device to output motion information as a function of at least one movement of the electronics device.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the motion component is an accelerometer.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the method further includes processing the motion information to determine at least one gesture input with respect to at least one point of interest.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the method further includes processing the at least one gesture input with respect to the at least one point of interest to automatically modify the point of interest information associated with the at least one point of interest.

6. A computing system that includes a portable electronic device, comprising:

a positional component that outputs position information as a function of a location of the portable electronic device;

a directional component that outputs direction information as a function of an orientation of the portable electronic device;

at least one processor configured to process at least one of the position information or the direction information to identify at least one point of interest in a set of one or more points of interest and to display point of interest information related to the at least one point of interest in a type of view that is dependent upon whether the at least one point of interest is limited to only a single point of interest or, alternatively, includes a plurality of points of interest; and

a storage device storing the point of interest information and computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, implement a method for using the electronics device to selectively utilize different display formats to display the point of interest information for the set of one or more points of interest depending upon how many points of interest there are in the set, the method including:

receiving the position information and direction information;

using an intersection algorithm to identify a set of one or more points of interest that correspond to the stored point of interest information;

subsequent to identifying the set of one or more points of interest, determining whether the set of one or more points of interest is limited to only a single point of interest or, alternatively, whether the set of one or more points of interest includes a plurality of points of interest;

displaying the set of one or more points of interest in at least one of full view and a second type of 2-D view, wherein:

the method includes representing displaying the set of one or more points of interest in the full view when it is determined that the set of one or more points of interest is limited to only a single point of interest and,

the method includes displaying the set of one or more points of interest in the 2-D view when it is alternatively determined that the set of one or more points of interest includes a plurality of points of interest,

such that the type of view used to display the set of one or more points of interest is directly dependent upon whether the set of one or more points of interest is determined to be limited to only a single point of interest or, alternatively, to include a plurality of points of interest.

7. The computing system of claim 6 , wherein the method further includes using a motion component of the electronics device to output motion information as a function of at least one movement of the electronics device.

8. The computing system of claim 7 , wherein the motion component is an accelerometer.

9. The computing system of claim 7 , wherein the method further includes processing the motion information to determine at least one gesture input with respect to at least one point of interest.

10. The computing system of claim 9 , wherein the method further includes processing the at least one gesture input with respect to the at least one point of interest to automatically modify the point of interest information associated with the at least one point of interest.

11. A storage device storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, implement a method for using an electronics device to selectively utilize different display formats to display point of interest information for a set of one or more points of interest depending upon how many points of interest there are in the set, the method comprising:

receiving position information and direction information for the electronics device;

using an intersection algorithm to identify a set of one or more points of interest that correspond to stored point of interest information;

subsequent to identifying the set of one or more points of interest, determining whether the set of one or more points of interest is limited to only a single point of interest or, alternatively, whether the set of one or more points of interest includes a plurality of points of interest;

further determining whether the set of one or more points of interest includes one or more users;

displaying the set of one or more points of interest in at least one of a first type of view, a second type of view and a third type of view, wherein:

the set of one or more points of interest is displayed in the first type of view when it is determined that the set of one or more points of interest is limited to only a single point of interest,

the set of one or more points of interest is displayed in the second type of view, which is different than the first type of view, when it is determined that the set of one or more points of interest includes a plurality of points of interest, and

the set of one or more points of interest is displayed in the third type of view, which is different than the first and second types of view, when it is determined that the set of one or more points of interest includes one or more users, and

such that the type of view used to display the set of one or more points of interest is directly dependent upon whether the set of one or more points of interest is determined to be limited to only a single point of interest or, alternatively, to include a plurality of points of interest, as well as whether the set of one or more points of interest includes one or more users.

12. The storage device of claim 11 , wherein the first type of view is a full view, the second type of view is either a 2-D view or a 3-D view, and wherein the third type of view is an image of the one or more user.

13. The storage device of claim 12 , wherein the second type of view is a categorized 2-D map view.

14. The storage device of claim 12 , wherein the second type of view is a categorized 3-D perspective view.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 9, 2014
From: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
To: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
Reel/Frame 034544/0541 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 31, 2012
From: KHOSRAVY, MOE; NOVIK, LEV
To: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 028298/0803 →