Improving Offline Map Data Availability

Abstract

To provide geographic data to client devices for offline use, a system receives, from a client device via a communication network, an indication of a current location of the client device. The system identifies geographic data to be provided to the client device to define an area of offline coverage, which includes determining boundaries of the area of offline coverage based on an amount of geographic data the client device is expected to receive prior to reaching certain points within the area of offline coverage. The system provides the geographic data to the client device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for providing geographic data to client devices for offline use, the method comprising:
 receiving, by one or more processors from a client device via a communication network, an indication of a current location of the client device;   identifying, by the one or more processors, geographic data to be provided to the client device to define an area of offline coverage, including determining boundaries of the area of offline coverage based on an amount of geographic data the client device is expected to receive prior to reaching certain points within the area of offline coverage; and   providing the geographic data to the client device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the boundaries of the area of offline coverage includes:
 determining, within the area of offline coverage, a region smaller than the area of offline coverage and contained within the area of offline coverage, such that the client device is expected to receive the geographic data for the region of offline coverage by the time the client reaches any point in the region.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising providing an indication of a boundary of the region to the client device so that the client device requests additional geographic data upon reaching the indicated boundary. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving, from the client device via the communication network, an indication of a geographic area for which the client device currently stores previously received geographic data. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 determining whether a version of the previously received geographic data is suitable for use for the region of offline coverage, and   not providing the previously received geographic data to the client device when the version of the previously received geographic data is suitable for use for the region of offline coverage.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining network bandwidth for cells within the region based on historical data. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the client device, a request for additional geographic data specifying a new current location of the client device and a current area of offline coverage; and   providing additional geographic data in response to the request.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the request further specifies a network carrier of the client device at the new current location. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the request further specifies a navigation route which the client device is following. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the request further specifies a current speed and/or an expected future speed of travel of the client device. 
     
     
         11 . A server device comprising:
 one or more processors; and   a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing thereon instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the server device to:   receive, from a client device via a communication network, an indication of a current location of the client device,   identify geographic data to be provided to the client device to define an area of offline coverage, including determine boundaries of the area of offline coverage based on an amount of geographic data the client device is expected to receive prior to reaching certain points within the area of offline coverage, and   provide the geographic data to the client device.   
     
     
         12 . The server device of  claim 11 , wherein to determine the boundaries of the area of offline coverage, the instructions further cause the server device to:
 determine, within the area of offline coverage, a region smaller than the area of offline coverage and contained within the area of offline coverage, such that the client device is expected to receive the geographic data for the region of offline coverage by the time the client reaches any point in the region.   
     
     
         13 . The server device of  claim 12 , wherein the instructions further cause the server device to:
 provide an indication of a boundary of the region to the client device so that the client device requests additional geographic data upon reaching the indicated boundary.   
     
     
         14 . The server device of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions further cause the server device to:
 receive, from the client device via the communication network, an indication of a geographic area for which the client device currently stores previously received geographic data.   
     
     
         15 . The server device of  claim 14 , wherein the instructions further cause the server device to:
 determine whether a version of the previously received geographic data is suitable for use for the region of offline coverage, and   not provide the previously received geographic data to the client device when the version of the previously received geographic data is suitable for use for the region of offline coverage.   
     
     
         16 . The server device of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions further cause service device to:
 determine network bandwidth for cells within the region based on historical data.   
     
     
         17 . The server device of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions further cause service device to:
 receive, from the client device, a request for additional geographic data specifying a new current location of the client device and a current area of offline coverage; and   provide additional geographic data in response to the request.   
     
     
         18 . The server device of  claim 17 , wherein the request further specifies a network carrier of the client device at the new current location. 
     
     
         19 . The server device of  claim 17 , wherein the request further specifies a navigation route which the client device is following. 
     
     
         20 . The server device of  claim 17 , wherein the request further specifies a current speed and/or an expected future speed of travel of the client device.