Device and method for linking communications with location data

Abstract

An electronic device includes a communication component; a location-determining component; a display; and a computing device all housed within a portable, handheld housing or other enclosure. The communications component transmits and receives mobile communications over a wireless communication network or path and provides identification information to the computing device. The location determining component determines locations of the electronic device as it is carried or driven from place to place and provides corresponding location data to the computing device. The computing device links the identification information with the location data to indicate the location of the device when a communication was made or received. The identification information and location data may be linked by adding a geocode or geotag to the identification information or by cross-referencing the information and data in a database. The computing device may also display a representation of the location data alongside a representation of the communication on a cartographic map and then display some of the identification information for the communication when a user scrolls over or otherwise selects either of the representations.

1 . An electronic device comprising:
 a communications component for receiving and transmitting communications;   a location-determining component for determining locations of the electronic device;   a computing device coupled with the communications component and the location-determining component, the computing device operable to associate an incoming communication received by the communications component with a corresponding location of the device determined by the location-determining component at an approximate time the incoming communication was received by the communications component;   a memory coupled with the computing device, the memory operable to store data associated with incoming communications and associated locations; and   a display coupled with the computing device, the display operable to present a listing of the incoming communications and associated locations.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the displayed listing includes phone numbers for the incoming communications and corresponding geographic information. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the displayed listing includes phone numbers for the incoming communications and corresponding street addresses. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the displayed listing includes caller ID information associated with the incoming communications. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the displayed listing includes email addresses associated with the incoming communications. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the communication component is a cellular transceiver for transmitting and receiving mobile phone calls over a cellular telephone network and the location-determining component is a GPS receiver for receiving GPS signals from a plurality of GPS satellites and for determining the locations of the electronic device as a function of the received signals. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the incoming communication is an incoming phone call, a missed incoming phone call, a voice mail message, an incoming text message, or an incoming instant message. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device is operable to determine a map-based location of the electronic device at the approximate time the incoming communication was received and associate the map-based location with the incoming communication. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device is further operable to sort the displayed listing based on a user input. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device is further operable to sort the displayed listing by the distance between the device's current location and the device's location when the communications were received. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device is further operable to search the displayed listing based on a user input. 
     
     
         12 . An electronic device comprising:
 a communications component for receiving and transmitting communications;   a location-determining component for determining locations of the electronic device;   a computing device coupled with the communications component and the location-determining component, the computing device operable to associate incoming communications received by the communications component with corresponding locations of the device determined by the location-determining component at approximate times the incoming communications were received by the communications component;   a memory coupled with the computing device, the memory operable to store data associated with the incoming communications and associated locations; and   a display coupled with the computing device, the display operable to present a sortable listing of the incoming communications and associated locations,   wherein the incoming communications are selected from the group consisting of an incoming phone call, a missed incoming phone call, a voice mail message, an incoming text message, and an incoming instant message.   
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the displayed listing includes phone numbers for the incoming communications and corresponding geographic information. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the displayed listing includes phone numbers for the incoming communications and corresponding street addresses. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the displayed listing includes caller ID information associated with the incoming communications. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the displayed listing includes email addresses associated with the incoming communications. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the communication component is a cellular transceiver for transmitting and receiving mobile phone calls over a cellular telephone network and the location-determining component is a GPS receiver for receiving GPS signals from a plurality of GPS satellites and for determining the locations of the electronic device as a function of the received signals. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the computing device is operable to determine a map-based location of the electronic device at the approximate time the incoming communication was received and associate the map-based location with the incoming communication. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the computing device is further operable to sort the displayed listing by the distance between the device's current location and the device's location when the communications were received 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the computing device is further operable to search the displayed listing based on a user input.