Sharing location with other device, has now become much easier!

Apple has filed a number of really fascinating patents in recent months, this the new patent introduced by the apple.

Background
Devices (e.g., mobile devices such a smartphones) can execute location applications that provide information about a location of the device. For example, the device could have a location system which determines a current position of the device and displays the position on a user interface of the device. The location application may also track the location of the device over time and display a path representing motion of the device.

Patent No.-US9699617
Methods, systems, apparatus, and computer program products that include, on a first device executing a first instance of a location application, receiving an indication to begin sharing data describing a path traveled by the first device, receiving location data describing the path traveled by the first device, the location data received from a location system of the first device, and the location data including a plurality of locations of the first device, and transmitting the location data in a form usable to enable a user interface of a second instance of a location application executing on a second device to indicate the path traveled by the first device.

About the Patent
• A device in motion can record data about the path it travels and send the path data to another device. A user of the second device can then use the data to see where the first user traveled and/or travel the same path as did the first user.
• In some implementations, the first device 100 may display location information 110 in the form of a map on a user interface of the first device 100. The first device 100 determines the location information 110, for example, using a location information facility of the first device 100. In some implementations, the location information facility is a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) facility.
• The method includes receiving a request for the second device to receive the data describing the path traveled by the first device, and receiving, at the first device, an authorization to transmit the location data to the second device.
• The method includes displaying on the first device a visual representation of the path traveled by the first device in the first instance of the location application, and wherein the transmitted location data is usable by the second device to display, in the second instance of a location application, a substantially identical visual representation of the path traveled by the first device.
• The method includes providing, on the user interface of the first instance of the location application, an indication that the second device has requested to receive the data describing the path traveled by the first device.
• . The path traveled by the second device is indicated before at least some locations of the second device are received, and wherein the path traveled by the second device is subsequently updated in response to receiving at least some locations of the second device.
• Indicating the path traveled by the second device includes displaying, on the first device, a visual representation of the path traveled by the second device. Indicating the path traveled by the second device includes displaying, on the first device, a visual representation of directions for a user of the first device to follow the path.
• Indicating the path traveled by the second device includes providing, by the first device, a spoken word description of directions for a user of the first device to follow the path.
• The method includes indicating, on the first device, a spoken message generated based on a message provided by a user of the second device.

Conclusion
Each of the above identified instructions and applications can correspond to a set of instructions for performing one or more functions described above. These instructions need not be implemented as separate software programs, procedures, or modules. The memory can include additional instructions or fewer instructions. Furthermore, various functions of the computing device can be implemented in hardware and/or in software, including in one or more signal processing and/or application specific integrated circuits.