GPS/Cell phone patent issue

hank williams hank777 at gmail.com
Sat Jan 26 00:41:29 CET 2008


On Jan 25, 2008 6:17 PM, joerg <joerg.twinklephone at gmx.de> wrote:
> >
> > Hmm... The patent purports to cover getting *any* information based on
> > where you are, including maps. So unless all the map information or
> > whatever information you need can fit on your phone you are not
> > interested in it? I guess you better wait for some *really* big flash
> > memory chips. :)
> The maps ARE "on board" for all common GPS car navis ("really big" 256MB-flash
> card e.g.).

In *cars*, not phones. This is the *Openmoko* list. We're talking
*phones* here. I don't think any phones are going to come with
navigation data built in. For example Blackberrys have GPS but do not
have the maps built in. That data comes from the network. Same with
the new iPhone functionality, which uses Google Maps. And I presume no
Openmoko phones are going to ship with location data. So while none of
this may be relevant to you, this discussion is about (at least in my
mind) the modern phone technology and how to apply it. Your personal
feelings about how location data should be used don't really map to
the way most expect to use phone + gps technology.

In other words, like it or not, if this patent is valid (who knows)
and its scope is what it looks like (I'm not a lawyer) it will have a
significant impact on the *phone* world.

Hank

Hank
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