Mapping an event location via a calendar application

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8983500-B2
Application number	US-83218007-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2007
Priority date	Aug 1, 2007
Publication date	Mar 17, 2015
Grant date	Mar 17, 2015

Abstract

A method of mapping a location of an event that is scheduled in a calendar application includes steps of identifying a contact associated with the event, determining address information associated with the contact, obtaining map data for the address information, and generating a map of the location associated with the contact based on the map data. Meeting or event locations can thus be mapped even if there is no event location or address information specified directly in the meeting request or appointment.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of suggesting a location of an event that is scheduled in a calendar application, where no location information is initially associated with the event in the calendar application, the method for execution by a processor of a wireless communications device, the method comprising steps of:
displaying a list of all contacts associated with the event;
providing an option to identify and select a contact from the list of all contacts for determining a map using contact location information, wherein the contact is associated with the event and is a person invited to the event or a person who is an inviter for the event;
determining, from an address book, the contact location information associated with the contact, wherein the contact location information comprises address information for a work address and a home address associated with the contact, the address information being accessible by the calendar application for presenting as a suggested location of the event;
automatically selecting, as the suggested location of the event, the work address associated with the contact when an event time of the event lies within specified work hours, and automatically selecting, as the suggested location of the event, the home address associated with the contact when the event time of the event lies outside the specified work hours;

determining the map using the suggested location of the event; and
presenting, on a display, the suggested location of the event.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising steps of:
obtaining map data for the address information; and
generating a map using the contact location information, based on the map data.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 further comprising steps of:
determining a current location of a wireless communications device; and
providing route directions from the current location of the device to the suggested location of the event.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a step of automatically identifying the contact who is the inviter for the event.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of providing an option to select one of the contacts comprises steps of:
displaying a plurality of addresses associated with the selected contact; and
providing an option to select one of the plurality of addresses associated with the contact.

6. The method as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a step of automatically identifying the contact whose location was previously used for a recurring event.

7. The method as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a step of automatically identifying the contact whose location was previously used for a previous event attended by the same set or subset of contacts.

8. The method as claimed in claim 2 further comprising steps of:
determining a current location of a wireless communications device on which the calendar application is executing, the current location being determined at a time corresponding to the event, and the current location of the device being determined to be a current location of the event; and
associating the current location of the event with any future event having related attributes in order to enable prediction of a probable location of any future event having related attributes.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the address information is stored in an address book accessible by the calendar application.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the address information is accessed remotely.

11. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium including code which, when loaded into memory and executed on a processor of a wireless communications device, is adapted to cause the device to perform the steps of:
displaying a list of all contacts associated with the event;
providing an option to identify and select a contact from the list of all contacts for determining a map using contact location information, wherein the contact is associated with the event and is a person invited to the event or a person who is an inviter for the event:
determining, from an address book, the contact location information associated with the contact, wherein the contact location information comprises address information for a work address and a home address associated with the contact, the address information being accessible by the calendar application for presenting as a suggested location of the event;
automatically selecting, as the suggested location of the event, the work address associated with the contact when an event time of the event lies within specified work hours, and automatically selecting, as the suggested location of the event, the home address associated with the contact when the event time of the event lies outside the specified work hours;
determining the map using the suggested location of the event; and
presenting, on a display, the suggested location of the event.

12. The computer program product as claimed in claim 11 wherein the step of providing the option to select one of the contacts comprises steps of:
displaying a plurality of addresses associated with the selected contact; and
providing an option to select one of the plurality of addresses associated with the contact.

13. The computer program product as claimed in claim 11 wherein the code is adapted to further cause the device to perform a step of:
determining a current location of a wireless communications device; and
generating route directions from the current location of the device to the location associated with the contact.

14. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the address information is stored in an address book accessible by the calendar application.

15. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the address information is accessed remotely.

16. A wireless communications device for obtaining and presenting location information about a suggested location of a calendar event, where no location information is initially associated with the calendar event, the wireless communications device comprising:
a memory and a processor for storing and executing a calendar application that stores an event, the processor being configured to:
display a list of all contacts associated with the event;
provide an option to identify and select a contact from the list of all contacts for determining a map using contact location information, wherein the contact is associated with the event and is a person invited to the event or a person who is an inviter for the event;
determine, from an address book, the contact location information associated with the contact, wherein the contact location information comprises address information for a work address and a home address associated with the contact, the address information being accessible by the calendar application for presenting as a suggested location of the event;
automatically select, as the suggested location of the event, the work address associated with the contact when an event time of the event lies within specified work hours, and automatically select, as the suggested location of the event, the home address associated with the contact when the event time of the event lies outside the specified work hours; and

determine the map using the suggested location of the event; and
a display for displaying the suggested location of the event.

17. The wireless communications device as claimed in claim 16 wherein the processor instructs a radio-frequency transceiver to wirelessly download map data from a map serv

Assignees

• Yach David
• Blackberry Ltd

Inventors

• Yach David

Classifications

• H04M1/72566 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L67/18

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W4/02

  Services making use of location information · CPC title

• G06Q10/109 Primary

  Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting · CPC title

• H04M2250/10

  including a GPS signal receiver · CPC title