Apple may be looking to merge the mapping and calendar functions of iPhones, a newly-published patent application suggests. At present, iPhone owners looking to find their way to an event marked in their calendar must memorize any addresses and look them up manually within Google Maps. Under the proposed scheme, any addresses associated within an event could be viewable from a quickly-referenced map.

The technology could also let users make associations in the reverse direction, by first locating a destination (such as a restaurant) and then presenting the option to connect the address to a calendar event. Other possibilities could include the ability to plot a route for several different events in the same day, with travel-time estimates dictated by expected traffic conditions.

Exploiting GPS capabilities, an iPhone might also be able to trigger alarms based on how long it will take to reach a particular destination. These alarms could be further engineered to send automatic messages, for instance confirming an appointment or notifying someone that the user will be late.