Finding and depicting individuals on a portable device display

1. A method for presenting locations of individuals on a display of a portable device comprising:

determining a region of interest by a location and an orientation of the portable device, wherein the region of interest is a cone of interest radiating away from the location of the portable device in a direction of orientation of the portable device;

determining a set of locations of one or more individuals of interest with respect to the cone of interest;

presenting an orienting background and a first set of representations against the orienting background on the display according to the location and orientation of the portable device, each representation of a respective individual of interest located in the cone of interest, the orienting background containing a positional cue of a landmark which the portable device is oriented toward;

adjusting the cone of interest with a pinch gesture on the orienting background;

determining a set of locations of one or more individuals of interest with respect to the adjusted cone of interest; and

presenting a second set of representations against the orienting background.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the pinch gesture is a pinch in gesture and the pinch in gesture reduces the size of the cone of interest and the second set of representations has fewer members than the first set of representations, wherein the presenting of the orienting background does not change in response to the pinch gesture.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the pinch gesture is a pinch out gesture and the pinch out gesture increases the size of the cone of interest and the second set of representations has a greater number of members than the first set of representations.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the pinch gesture is a pinch in gesture and a vertical component of the pinch in gesture decreases a maximum distance of the cone of interest and a horizontal component of the pinch in gesture decreases an arc of the cone of interest.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the pinch gesture is a pinch out gesture and a vertical component of the pinch out gesture increases a maximum distance of the cone of interest and a horizontal component of the pinch out gesture increases an arc of the cone of interest.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising presenting a window detailing a number of degrees in an arc and a maximum distance of a current cone of interest.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein a live camera image is presented as the orienting background.

8. Apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

computer memory holding computer program instructions executed by the processor for presenting locations of individuals on display of a portable device, the computer program instructions comprising:

program code, operative to determine a region of interest by a location and an orientation of the portable device, wherein the region of interest is a cone of interest radiating away from the location of the portable device in a direction of orientation of the portable device;

program code, operative to determine a set of locations of one or more individuals of interest with respect to the cone of interest;

program code, operative to present an orienting background and a first set of representations against the orienting background on the display according to the location and orientation of the portable device, each representation of a respective individual of interest located in the cone of interest, the orienting background containing a positional cue of a landmark which the portable device is oriented toward;

program code, operative to adjust the cone of interest with a pinch gesture on the orienting background;

program code, operative to determine a set of locations of one or more individuals of interest with respect to the adjusted cone of interest; and

program code, operative to present a second set of representations against the orienting background.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 8 , wherein the pinch gesture is a pinch in gesture, a vertical component of the pinch in gesture decreases a maximum distance of the cone of interest, a horizontal component of the pinch in gesture decreases an arc of the cone of interest and the second set of representations has fewer members than the first set of representations, wherein the presenting of the orienting background does not change in response to the pinch gesture.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 8 , wherein the pinch gesture is a pinch out gesture, a vertical component of the pinch out gesture increases a maximum distance of the cone of interest and a horizontal component of the pinch out gesture increases an arc of the cone of interest.

11. The apparatus as recited in claim 8 , further comprising program code, operative to present a window detailing a number of degrees in an arc and a maximum distance of a current cone of interest.

12. The apparatus as recited in claim 8 , further comprising program code, operative to present a temporary landmark in the orienting background.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 8 , wherein the pinch gesture is a pinch out gesture and the pinch out gesture increases the size of the cone of interest and the second set of representations has a greater number of members than the first set of representations.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 8 , wherein the pinch gesture is a pinch in gesture and a vertical component of the pinch in gesture decreases a maximum distance of the cone of interest and a horizontal component of the pinch in gesture decreases an arc of the cone of interest.

15. A computer program product in a non-transitory computer readable medium for use in a data processing system, the computer program product holding computer program instructions executed by the data processing system for presenting locations of individuals on a display of a portable device, the computer program instructions comprising:

program code, operative to determine a region of interest by a location and an orientation of the portable device, wherein the region of interest is a cone of interest radiating away from the location of the portable device in a direction of orientation of the portable device;

program code, operative to determine a set of locations of one or more individuals of interest with respect to the cone of interest;

program code, operative to present an orienting background and a first set of representations against the orienting background on the display according to the location and orientation of the portable device, each representation of a respective individual of interest located in the cone of interest, the orienting background containing a positional cue of a landmark which the portable device is oriented toward;

program code, operative to adjust the cone of interest with a pinch gesture on the orienting background;

program code, operative to determine a set of locations of one or more individuals of interest with respect to the adjusted cone of interest; and

program code, operative to present a second set of representations against the orienting background.

16. The computer program product as recited in claim 15 , wherein the pinch gesture is a pinch in gesture, a vertical component of the pinch in gesture decreases a maximum distance of the cone of interest, a horizontal component of the pinch in gesture decreases an arc of the cone of interest and the second set of representations has fewer members than the first set of representations, wherein the presenting of the orienting background does not change in response to the pinch gesture.

17. The computer program product as recited in claim 15 , wherein the pinch gesture is a pinch out gesture, a vertical component of the pinch out gesture increases a maximum distance of the cone of interest and a horizontal component of the pinch out gesture increases an arc of the cone of interest.

18. The computer program product as recited in claim 15 , further comprising program code, operative to present a window detailing a number of degrees in an arc and a maximum distance of a current cone of interest.

19. The computer program product as recited in claim 15 , wherein the pinch gesture is a pinch in gesture and the pinch in gesture reduces the size of the cone of interest and the second set of representations has fewer members than the first set of representations, wherein the presenting of the orienting background does not change in response to the pinch gesture.

20. The computer program product as recited in claim 15 , wherein the pinch gesture is a pinch out gesture and the pinch out gesture increases the size of the cone of interest and the second set of representations has a greater number of members than the first set of representations.