User-defined private maps

1. A method for presenting one or more user-provided private maps with a public map for sharing among a group of users, comprising:

importing a public map representing a publicly available mapping of an area or a location;

creating one or more user-provided private maps;

linking the one or more user-provided private maps to the public map through a set of corresponding map icons; and

displaying the public map and the one or more user-provided private maps, wherein the public map includes one or more images of the one or more user-provided private maps.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein creating one or more user-provided private maps comprises:

capturing an image; and

generating a user-provided private map using the image.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the image includes an item selected from the group consisting at least one of:

a hand-drawn map;

a printed map; and

a photo image.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the image further includes an item selected from the group consisting at least one of:

a seating chart of a stadium;

a seating chart of a theater; and

an interior layout of a building.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein creating one or more user-provided private maps further includes at least a step selected from the group consisting of:

importing a different public map stored in a client device; and

downloading a different public map from a website.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein linking the one or more user-provided private maps to the public map comprises:

associating the public map and the one or more user-provided private maps as linked set of maps, wherein each map is linked to another map in the linked set of maps; and

accessing the linked set of maps through the corresponding map icons.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

associating a single point in a first map to a single point in a second map in the linked set of maps; and

performing mathematical translations between the first map's coordinate system and the second map's coordinate system.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

associating an area in a first map to a second map in the linked set of maps; and

performing mathematical translations between the first map's coordinate system and the second map's coordinate system.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein a map icon includes an item selected from the group consisting at least one of:

a thumbnail image of the user-provided private map;

a name of the user-provided private map;

a number of users in the user-provided private map; and

a list of user names in the user-provided private map.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein a map icon further includes an item selected from the group consisting at least one of:

an image of the user;

a graphic image chosen by the user;

a phrase chosen by the user;

a label representing the emotional state of the user;

a label representing the status of the user; and

a label representing an action performed by the user.

11. A device for presenting one or more user-provided private maps with a public map for sharing among a group of users, comprising:

a processor for executing computer programs;

a memory for storing data;

an input module for entering user commands;

a communication module for transmitting and receiving data;

a display for showing information on a screen;

logic for importing a public map representing a publicly available mapping of an area or a location;

logic for creating one or more user-provided private maps;

logic for linking the one or more user-provided private maps to the public map through a set of corresponding map icons; and

logic for displaying the public map and the one or more user-provided private maps, wherein the public map includes one or more images of the one or more user-provided private maps.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the logic for creating one or more user-provided private maps comprises:

logic for capturing an image; and

logic for generating a user-provided private map using the image.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the image includes an item selected from the group consisting at least one of:

a hand-drawn map;

a printed map; and

a photo image.

14. The device of claim 12 , wherein the image further includes an item selected from the group consisting at least one of:

a seating chart of a stadium;

a seating chart of a theater; and

an interior layout of a building.

15. The device of claim 11 , wherein the logic for creating one or more user-provided private maps further includes logic selected from the group consisting at least one of:

logic for importing a different public map stored in a client device; and

logic for downloading a different public map from a website.

16. The device of claim 11 , wherein the logic for linking the one or more user-provided private maps to the public map comprises:

logic for associating the public map and the one or more user-provided private maps as linked set of maps, wherein each map is linked to another map in the linked set of maps; and

logic for accessing the linked set of maps through the corresponding map icons.

17. The device of claim 16 further comprising:

logic for associating a single point in a first map to a single point in a second map in the linked set of maps; and

logic for performing mathematical translations between the first map's coordinate system and the second map's coordinate system.

18. The device of claim 16 further comprising:

logic for associating an area in a first map to a second map in the linked set of maps; and

logic for performing mathematical translations between the first map's coordinate system and the second map's coordinate system.

19. The device of claim 11 , wherein a map icon includes an item selected from the group consisting at least one of:

a thumbnail image of the user-provided private map;

a name of the user-provided private map;

a number of users in the user-provided private map; and

a list of user names in the user-provided private map.

20. The device of claim 19 , wherein a map icon further includes an item selected from group consisting at least one of:

an image of the user;

a graphic image chosen by the user;

a phrase chosen by the user;

a label representing the emotional state of the user;

a label representing the status of the user; and

a label representing an action performed by the user.

21. A system for presenting one or more user-provided private maps with a public map for sharing among a group of users, comprising:

a back-end location storage server for storing user location information;

a back-end map server for processing maps;

a front-end map server for interfacing between client devices, the back-end location storage system, and the back-end map server through a communication network, the front-end map server further comprises:

means for importing a public map representing a publicly available mapping of an area or a location;

means for creating one or more user-provided private maps;

means for linking the one or more user-provided private maps to the public map through a set of corresponding map icons; and

means for presenting the public map and the one or more user-provided private maps to the group of users, wherein the public map includes one or more images of the one or more user-provided private maps.

22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the means for creating one or more user-provided private maps comprise:

means for receiving an image from a client device; and

means for generating a user-provided private map using the image.

23. The system of claim 22 , wherein the image includes an item selected from the group consisting at least one of:

a hand-drawn map;

a printed map; and

a photo image.

24. The system of claim 22 , wherein the image further includes an item selected from the group consisting at least one of:

a seating chart of a stadium;

a seating chart of a theater; and

an interior layout of a building.

25. The system of claim 21 , wherein the means for creating one or more user-provided private maps further include means selected from the group consisting at least one of:

means for importing a different public map stored in the back-end location storage server; and

means for downloading a different public map from a website.

26. The system of claim 21 , wherein the means for linking the one or more user-provided private maps to the public map comprise:

means for associating the public map and the one or more user-provided private maps as linked set of maps, wherein each map is linked to another map in the linked set of maps; and

means for accessing the linked set of maps through the corresponding map icons.

27. The system of claim 26 further comprising:

means for associating a single point in a first map to a single point in a second map in the linked set of maps; and

means for performing mathematical translations between the first map's coordinate system and the second map's coordinate system.

28. The system of claim 26 further comprising:

means for associating an area in a first map to a second map in the linked set of maps; and

means for performing mathematical translations between the first map's coordinate system and the second map's coordinate system.

29. The system of claim 21 , wherein a map icon includes an item selected from the group consisting at least one of:

a thumbnail image of the user-provided private map;

a name of the user-provided private map;

a number of users in the user-provided private map; and

a list of user names in the user-provided private map.

30. The system of claim 29 , wherein a map icon further includes an item selected from the group consisting at least one of:

an image of the user;

a graphic image chosen by the user;

a phrase chosen by the user;

a label representing the emotional state of the user;

a label representing the status of the user; and

a label representing an action performed by the user.