PanoMap, based in Florida, filed a patent infringement case against Apple and Google last week. It's really about the display of data, not the capture and thus the allegations are against big users of these types of display.
The patent,
US No. 6,563,529, was filed back in 1999 and issued in 2003. There are a total of 28 claims in the patent, but the broadest of them essentially cover a mapping system that displays a wide map view in combination with a more detailed view of location specifics. The claims also require synchronization of the two views.
As I see it, the invention here is what I call "active overview maps" and I have to believe there may be prior art from desktop GIS, if not a sense of obviousness.
by Adena Schutzberg on 02/28 at 06:20 AM |
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I'm having a hard time finding the actual patent documents, but I think it's this one: System and method for alerting a first mobile data processing system nearby a second mobile data processing system. Abstract:
Provided is a fully automated web service with location based services generally involved in transmission of situational location dependent information to automatically located mobile receiving data processing systems. The web service communicates with a receiving data processing system in a manner by delivering information to the device when appropriate without the device requesting it at the time of delivery. There are varieties of configurations made by different user types of the web service for configuring information to be delivered, and for receiving the information. The web service maximizes anonymity of users, provides granular privacy control with a default of complete privacy, and supports user configurable privileges and features for desired web service behavior and interoperability. The web service is fully automated to eliminate human resources required to operate services. Integrated with the web service are enhanced location based services providing map solutions, alerts, sharing of novel services between users, and complete user control for managing heterogeneous device interoperability through the web service.
It reads to me like an application of geofencing - sending a message to those in a defined area - though the "how" may be new.
Patently Apple dissects the document and explains:
More specifically, Apple's patent relates to location dependent delivery of information to mobile data processing systems and to a system for delivering situational location dependent content to data processing system devices traveling to locations for, or in directions of, that place which delivery content is designated as deliverable. Apple's invention provides transmission of situational location dependent information from a server data processing system (SDPS) to a receiving data processing system (RDPS).
In a preferred embodiment for enhancing mobile device locations, well known cell tower locations complement GPS coordinates received when locating devices. Cell tower or antenna triangulation, or cell tower communications information could further refine the whereabouts of mobile devices. An environment which couples multiple location technologies together could provide better accuracy for device locations.
- Patently Apple
by Adena Schutzberg on 12/08 at 05:02 AM |
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The patent that issued yesterday, RE42,927, is actually a reissue of a patent that Xerox received in 2000 and filed for in 1998. According to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Apple received ownership of the patent on December 17, 2009. (Yes, once again Xerox came up with a cool idea only to see Apple do something with it, as it did with GUIs and mice.)
Per C|net the patent covers these claims (in English):
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The system will display information that is specific to the location the device is in. That could mean text, video, sound, or images. There is no restriction on what the information conveys, so anything from something informative in a visual display to a two-for-one burger special would seem to be covered.
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The device has a location information system that receives location information from at least one object that specifies the location of the site where the device user is. The patent description makes it clear that this could include GPS signals from space or a barcode plastered on a building. Because "receiver" is another broad term, you could include GPS radios in cell phones or a camera and software combo that would obtain a two-dimension QR barcode. Apple broadened the language to include GPS systems.
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A transceiver (another general term) sends the location information over a distributed network like the Internet to some unspecified destination and, in return, gets location-specific information in return.
The suggestion by patent watchers is that this patent is so basic and so broad it applies to any location based system. The question, then, is what if anything Apple will do with it.
- C|net
by Adena Schutzberg on 11/17 at 06:00 AM |
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The patent application was discovered on Thursday by AppleInsider and is titled "Relevancy Ranking for Map-Related Search." It "describes how an iPhone would optionally report a user's present location, via GPS, to help Apple improve its search results."
Abstract
The following relates to ranking search results consisting of locations or recommending locations to visit based on recorded data representing visits by a plurality of users to the locations represented as search results or recommended locations to visit. The data representing users' visits can be recorded by receiving data anonymously reported by handheld communication devices carried by the plurality of users. A handheld communication device, which is carried by a user, can report to the system the user's present location optionally associated with a time stamp. The handheld communication device can report either a single location coordinate or a collection of coordinates gathered over time.
It's assigned to former Placebaser Jaron Waldman and Sr Director Product Marketing at Apple, Chad Richards and the app dates back to March 2010
- AppleInsider
by Adena Schutzberg on 09/09 at 03:48 AM |
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The patent, Augmented Reality Maps was filed in February of 2010. It is credited to Jaron Waldman of Placebase fame.
Abstract:
A user points a handheld communication device to capture and display a real-time video stream. The handheld communication device detects geographic position, camera direction, and tilt of the image capture device. The user sends a search request to a server for nearby points of interest. The handheld communication device receives search results based on the search request, geographic position, camera direction, and tilt of the handheld communication device. The handheld communication device visually augments the captured video stream with data related to each point of interest. The user then selects a point of interest to visit. The handheld communication device visually augments the captured video stream with a directional map to a selected point of interest in response to the user input.
AppleInsider contends the idea here is not re-invent AR but to merge it with navigation.
- AppleInsider
by Adena Schutzberg on 08/18 at 05:19 AM |
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