Apple Inc.

Mark B Larus

Bradford Allen Moore

Jorge S Fino

Joshua C Weinberg

Sarah G Barbour

Christine B McGavran

Wesley Yue

Some embodiments provide a mapping application that provides a variety of UI elements for allowing a user to specify a location (e.g., for viewing or serving as route destinations). In some embodiments, these location-input UI elements appear in succession on a sequence of pages, according to a hierarchy that has the UI elements that require less user interaction appear on earlier pages in the sequence than the UI elements that require more user interaction. In some embodiments, the location-input UI elements that successively appear in the mapping application include (1) selectable predicted-destination notifications, (2) a list of selectable predicted destinations, (3) a selectable voice-based search affordance, and (4) a keyboard. In some of these embodiments, these UI elements appear successively on the following sequence of pages: (1) a default page for presenting the predicted-destination notifications, (2) a destination page for presenting the list of predicted destinations, (3) a search page for receiving voice-based search requests, and (4) a keyboard page for receiving character input.

Map application with improved search tools

Hierarchy of tools for navigation

Some embodiments provide a mapping application with novel navigation and/or search tools. In some embodiments, the mapping application formulates predictions about future destinations of a device that executes the mapping application, and provides dynamic notifications regarding these predicted destinations. For instance, when a particular destination is a likely destination (e.g., most likely destination) of the device, the mapping application in some embodiments presents a notification regarding the particular destination (e.g., plays an animation that presents the notification). This notification in some embodiments provides some information about (1) the predicted destination (e.g., a name and/or address for the predicted destination) and (2) a route to this predicted destination (e.g., an estimated time of arrival, distance, and/or amount of ETD for the predicted destination). In some embodiments, the notification is a dynamic not only because it is presented dynamically as the device travels, but also because the information that the notification displays about the destination and/or route to the destination is dynamically updated by the mapping application as the device travels.

Map application with improved navigation tools

Some embodiments of the invention provide a mapping application with novel tools for examining potential destinations and routes to the potential destinations. In some embodiments, the mapping application includes a route preview page that provides a novel combination of user element tools that allow a user (1) to explore alternative routes to a selected destination, (2) to explore routes to other destinations in a list of destinations. In some embodiments, the route overview page also provides a modal zoom tool that allows the map on this page to zoom to the destination/search result or zoom out to an overview of the entire route to the destination/search result. These three tools (i.e., the tool for exploring alternative routes to one location, the tool for exploring routes to other locations, and the tool for providing modal zoom operations) are highly beneficial in allowing a user to navigate to a location because they allow the user to quickly explore the two-dimensional solution space of possible locations and possible routes to the locations.

Growing community of inventors

San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Mark B Larus