Directional location system for a portable electronic device

Abstract

A method for a first portable electronic device to locate a second portable electronic device includes: determining location coordinates of the first portable electronic device, receiving location coordinates from the second portable electronic device, determining a relative direction from the first portable electronic device to the second portable electronic device, generating an arrow on a display of the first portable electronic device, the arrow representing a direction from the first portable electronic device to the second portable electronic device. Wherein the direction of the arrow is automatically updated based on changes in the location coordinates of the first portable electronic device and the location coordinates of the second portable electronic device.

1 .- 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A method comprising:
 continuously receiving, at a first device, global location coordinates of a second device, without repeated requests from the first device, the first device authorized to the receive global location coordinates of the second device;   determining a relative direction from the first device to the second device based on determined global location coordinates of the first device, using location determining hardware of the first device, and the global coordinates of the second device;   rendering, at a display of the first device, a visual identifier on a map to represent the relative direction; and   updating, at the display, the visual identifier continuously when there is a change in respective global location coordinates of either the first device or the second device.   
     
     
         12 . A method of claim  1 , wherein the global location coordinates of the second device are received at the first device from one or more of: the second device, a network, a database, and the Internet. 
     
     
         13 . A method of claim  1 , wherein the global location coordinates of the second device are received at the first device from an input device. 
     
     
         14 . A method of claim  1 , further comprising rendering text, at the display, that indicates a distance between the first device and the second device. 
     
     
         15 . A method of claim  1 , wherein the first device specifies the second device as a device to track prior to receiving the global location coordinates of the second device. 
     
     
         16 . A method of claim  1 , wherein the visual identifier comprises one or more of an arrow and a pointer. 
     
     
         17 . A method of claim  1 , wherein the relative direction from the first device to the second device is determined using an electronic compass. 
     
     
         18 . The method of claim  1 , further comprising downloading the map from a network. 
     
     
         19 . The method of claim  1 , wherein the rendering the visual identifier on the map comprises rendering the visual identifier on the map at the determined global location coordinates of the first device. 
     
     
         20 . A device comprising:
 a processor, a display and location determining hardware, the processor configured to:
 continuously receive global location coordinates of a second device, without repeated requests, the device authorized to the receive global location coordinates of the second device; 
 determine a relative direction from the device to the second device based on determined global location coordinates of the device, determined using the location determining hardware, and the global coordinates of the second device; 
 rendering, at the display, a visual identifier on a map to represent the relative direction; and 
 updating, at the display, the visual identifier continuously when there is a change in respective global location coordinates of either the device or the second device. 
   
     
     
         21 . A device of  claim 20 , wherein the global location coordinates of the second device are received at the device from one or more of: the second device, a network, a database, and the Internet. 
     
     
         22 . A device of  claim 20 , further comprising an input device, wherein the global location coordinates of the second device are received at the device from the input device. 
     
     
         23 . A device of  claim 20 , wherein the processor is further configured to render text, at the display, that indicates a distance between the device and the second device. 
     
     
         24 . A device of  claim 20 , wherein the device specifies the second device as a device to track prior to receiving the global location coordinates of the second device. 
     
     
         25 . A device of  claim 20 , wherein the visual identifier comprises one or more of an arrow and a pointer. 
     
     
         26 . A device of  claim 20 , further comprising an electronic compass, and wherein the relative direction from the device to the second device is determined using the electronic compass. 
     
     
         27 . The device of  claim 20 , wherein the processor is further configured to download the map from a network. 
     
     
         28 . The device of  claim 20 , wherein the processor is further configured to render the visual identifier on the map by rendering the visual identifier on the map at the determined global location coordinates of the device. 
     
     
         29 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program, wherein execution of the computer program is for:
 continuously receiving, at a first device, global location coordinates of a second device, without repeated requests from the first device, the first device authorized to the receive global location coordinates of the second device;   determining a relative direction from the first device to the second device based on determined global location coordinates of the first device, using location determining hardware of the first device, and the global coordinates of the second device;   rendering, at a display of the first device, a visual identifier on a map to represent the relative direction; and   updating, at the display, the visual identifier continuously when there is a change in respective global location coordinates of either the first device or the second device.