Among the collection of patents we’ve seen unearthed recently, now comes another …
Filed in November 2008, and entitled “Location Specific Content”, @MacRumors is reporting via Patently Apple, that a new patent detailing temporary proximity-based or location-based applications has been found, which would theoretically ensure these special apps would only appear when the user was in a specific location.
We first saw the implementation of this technology with the introduction of the default ‘iTunes’ application in iPhone OS. US customers could walk into a @Starbucks establishment, and a separate tab would ‘magically’ appear on the store’s tab bar.
The idea is simple. Deliver a location based service to information savvy iPhone users that wish to receive temporary retail and service-based applications. Imagine standing at the entrance of a restaurant and viewing their menu on your iPhone or entering a public library and being able to access their database. The minute you leave the library or the front of that restaurant, the app disappears so that you don’t clog up your iPhone with hundreds of local business apps.
Where the patent differs to this implementation however is that the temporary icons would appear on the actual iPhone’s homescreen, rather than in-app.
Two examples are given by Apple on how this technology could be used:
Restaurant: The patent application describes two possible uses of location-based temporary applications that could prove useful to a user approaching a restaurant. The first is a “Wait Time” icon that would automatically tell the user how long the current wait is to be seated at the desired restaurant. A second “Place Order” icon could allow users to access a restaurant’s menu on their device and submit their food orders electronically.
Public Library: Upon entering a library, a user could see an application automatically appear on their device that would allow them to search the library’s digital database of books and other content without having to secure a position at one of the library’s linked computers. The application could then automatically disappear from the user’s device once they exit the building.
[via @MacRumors]
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