Personal travel agent using push services

• US 20030125049A1
• Filed: 12/19/2002
• Published: 07/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kirsch, Christian, Schwarzer, Stephan, Schrimpf, Gerhard, Seibert, Rainer, Buchmann, Cornelius
• Granted Patent: US 6,973,322 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2895 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data provider application, e.g. reverse proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A method and system for providing and receiving location-based services for a planned trip of a user having access to a portable telecommunication device. The user creates, e.g., via the Internet, a trip profile. The profile contains base data about the user and the trip. After the profile is created at the Service provider'"'"'s site, a scheduled delivery of information is activated. The position of the user is computed repeatedly during the trip. When new messages are available for an individual user at his individual current position, the user receives the information. If the information does not match the user'"'"'s needs, he is able to react and submit his current position in order to receive the right information.

Claims

1. A method for providing location-based services for a user having access to a portable telecommunication device, comprising the steps of:

a) receiving user information comprising base data about a trip of a user, and a user ID for contacting the user, the base data comprising information on times and corresponding locations associated with progression of the trip,

b) collecting service information associated with said trip from predetermined information resources, and

c) transmitting said service information for receipt by the user scheduled according to the progression of the trip performed by the user.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

a) estimating the user location from a trip schedule set up by start time, estimated average velocity, and destination of the trip, and

b) transmitting said service information for receipt by the user scheduled according to a current estimated location of the user.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

a) receiving current location information for updating the trip schedule,

b) determining the current location of the user, and

b) transmitting service information valid for a trip segment between the current user location and the destination location according to an updated trip schedule.

4. A computer system having means for performing the steps of a method according to claim 1.

5. A computer program for execution in a data processing system comprising computer program code portions for performing respective steps of the method according to claim 1, when said computer program code portions are executed on a computer.

6. A computer program product stored on a computer usable medium comprising computer readable program means for causing a computer to perform the method of claim 1, when said computer program product is executed on a computer.

7. A method for a user to receive location-based service information with a mobile telecommunication device during a trip, in which method a trip schedule comprises relevant time and corresponding location information about said trip, comprising the steps of:

receiving said service information scheduled according to said trip schedule.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of:

transmitting current location information to a Service Provider in order to update the trip schedule.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of:

for determining current information, including information on signal strength and communication control data in content transmitted by a current call.