Google developing location-based search for phones?
updated 01:25 pm EST, Fri March 9, 2007
Google Phone Search Patent
Google may be on the verge of introducing a search technology that could tie into the next generation of phones, according to a recently discovered patent granted to the Web developer. Officially titled "Nonstandard locality-based text entry," the technique would have a phone's Google search tool determine what the owner is looking for based on cues from the hardware itself, such as a GPS receiver or the internal clock.
A device could recommend several options for nearby stores and change those recommendations based on the time of day. Search and text messaging histories would also become relevant by helping the engine recommend particular locations or services.
The patent is independent of any particular phone and may become an element of the Google Maps software found in current and future handsets. However, the technology is likely to be a cornerstone of the heavily-rumored Google Switch phone should it be made, and may find its way into the Google Maps component of the iPhone should the device find a way to guess its owner's position. [via Mad 4 Mobile Phones]
