Mobile Contact List Mapping Integration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
There is a lack of integration between contact organizer functionality and mapping functionality in mobile communication devices, limiting the ability to associate geographic locations with contacts and display maps accordingly.
Innovation Solution
A method is introduced that allows mobile communication devices to provide a contact list organizer function, enabling users to request and display maps for selected contacts, and store location data within the contact list, thereby integrating mapping functionality with contact information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If mapping functionality is integrated with contact organizer functionality in mobile communication devices, then the ability to associate geographic locations with contacts and display maps accordingly is enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines contact organizer functionality and mapping functionality into a single integrated system. The contact list organizer function is enhanced to include mapping capabilities, allowing users to view maps associated with contact locations directly within the contact organizer interface. This merging resolves the technical contradiction by achieving high adaptability and versatility through integration while managing system complexity through unified architecture design.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact list organizer function is designed to perform multiple functions: traditional contact management (storing names, phone numbers, emails) and mapping operations (displaying maps, associating locations). This multi-functionality approach allows a single system to handle both contact organization and geographic visualization, improving versatility without requiring completely separate systems.
2Adaptability or versatility
If mapping functionality is added to contact organizer, then users can visually display maps for contact locations, but ease of operation may be reduced due to additional functionality
Solution Approach 1:
The mapping functions are merged into the existing contact organizer interface rather than requiring a separate mapping application. Users can access map displays directly from their contact lists through intuitive interface elements, maintaining ease of operation while adding functional versatility.
3Loss of information
If location data is stored in contact list fields, then geographic information can be associated with contacts, but device memory requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential location information (location data suitable for map display) from complete address data and stores it in the contact list. This selective extraction maintains information completeness for mapping purposes while minimizing memory usage by storing only the necessary geographic coordinates or location identifiers rather than full address details.
Data Source
AI summary
In one illustrative example, a method of providing mapping functionality in a contact list of a mobile communication device comprises the acts of providing a contact list organizer function in the mobile communication device for use in organizing a plurality of contacts of a contact book or list; identifying, through a user interface of the mobile communication device, a user input request to map a location of a selected one of the contacts of the contact list; and causing a map corresponding to the location to be visually displayed in a display of the mobile communication device in response to the user input request. In another illustrative example, the method comprises the acts of causing a map of a location to be visually displayed in a display of the mobile communication device; receiving a user input request to associate the location of the map with a contact in a contact book or list of the mobile communication device; and storing location data corresponding to the location in one or more location fields of the contact in response to the user input request. In one embodiment, the contact list is part of an address book having a plurality of address book contacts.