Chalk this up to another obvious thing that’s now been patented: Networks In Motion (NIM) have been granted exclusive rights to the system of delivering ratings, information and more, from a server, regarding a point-of-interest (POI) located using a GPS-enabled mobile device.  The patent, titled “Point of Interest Spatial Rating Search Method and System”, basically describes a situation where a user could pull up third-party reviews, low-price ratings or subcategories based on a local store or landmark, such as a shop or restaurant.

Specifically, the patent relates to the use of a GPS-enabled device to search for fixed POIs; NIM already provide the technical background to Verizon’s VZ Navigator, YellowPages.com Mobile, TELUS Navigator and AAA Mobile, among others, and are the most widely used mobile phone navigation service in North America.

The new patent is just one of in excess of 50 already held by NIM, in areas including navigational functions, search features, social networking using GPS-enabled devices and more.