System for locating nearby picture hotspots

Abstract

Portable communication devices transmit digital images and their location information to a central server. If a particular location is often photographed it can be designated as a hot spot. Thereafter, if a communication device is currently transmitting from within a vicinity of the hot spot, based on the location data received from the communication device, notification data can be transmitted to the communication device for notifying the user of the hot spot. The notification data can include directional information for the user to access on the communication device for enabling the user to find the hot spot.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device comprising:
 a communication module;   a GPS receiver module; and   a processor configured to:
 transmit location data and user data over a wireless network via the communication module, wherein the location data is provided by the GPS receiver module based in part on stored user data; and 
 receive notification data from a network connected server over the wireless network in response to the transmitted location data, wherein the notification data indicates that the device is within a vicinity of a hot spot location, wherein the notification includes directional information associated with finding the hot spot location. 
   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the notification data includes directional information from a current location to the hotspot location, wherein the current location is based on the location data. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the directional information includes a geographic direction and a geographic distance. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the directional information includes map data and a route from the current location to the hotspot location. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to receive digital images and send instructions to a display to present the digital images associated with the hotspot location. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the processor is further configured to filter received digital images based on a date range. 
     
     
         7 . A method comprising:
 transmitting location data for a device and user data over a wireless network via a communication module; and   receiving notification data from a network connected server over the wireless network in response to the transmitted location data, wherein the notification data indicates that the device is within a vicinity of a hot spot location, wherein the notification includes directional information associated with finding the hot spot location.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the notification data includes directional information from a current location to the hotspot location, wherein the current location is based on the location data. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the directional information includes a geographic direction and a geographic distance. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the directional information includes map data and a route from the current location to the hotspot location. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising receiving digital images and sending instructions to a display to present the digital images associated with the hotspot location. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising enabling selective viewing of received digital images associates with the hotspot location. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising providing image capture location information along with the selectively viewed digital image, and determining a distance and direction from a device location to an image capture location based on the image capture location information. 
     
     
         14 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform functions, the functions comprising:
 transmitting location data for a device and user data over a wireless network via a communication module; and   receiving notification data from a network connected server over the wireless network in response to the transmitted location data, wherein the notification data indicates that the device is within a vicinity of a hot spot location, wherein the notification includes directional information associated with finding the hot spot location.   
     
     
         15 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the notification data includes directional information from a current location to the hotspot location, wherein the current location is based on the location data. 
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the directional information includes a geographic direction and a geographic distance. 
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the directional information includes map data and a route from the current location to the hotspot location. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 14 , further comprising receiving digital images and sending instructions to a display to present the digital images associated with the hotspot location. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 18 , further comprising enabling selective viewing of received digital images associates with the hotspot location. 
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 19 , further comprising providing image capture location information along with the selectively viewed digital image, and determining a distance and direction from a device location to an image capture location based on the image capture location information.