Notification systems and methods with user-definable notifications based upon vehicle proximities

• US 20030233190A1
• Filed: 05/12/2003
• Published: 12/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1993
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shipping & Transit, LLC
• Original Assignee: Arrivalstar SA
• Inventors: Jones, M. Kelly
• Granted Patent: US 6,804,606 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/008 using a mobile telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed for permitting a user to define a plurality of different predetermined proximities corresponding respectively with a plurality of different mobile vehicles in relation to a location, for monitoring travel data associated with the plurality of mobile vehicles, and for notifying one or more communications devices associated with the user based upon the different predetermined proximities associated with the vehicles.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

permitting a user to define a plurality of different predetermined proximities corresponding respectively with a plurality of different mobile vehicles in relation to a location;

monitoring travel data associated with the plurality of mobile vehicles;

providing one or more communications to the user based upon the different predetermined proximities associated with the vehicles.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined proximity is a distance between the vehicle and the location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined proximity is a time period corresponding to the time it will take the vehicle to reach the location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined proximity is a time of day corresponding to the time the vehicle to reach the location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined proximity is a geographical vicinity about the location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle travels a predetermined route having the location as a stop along the route and wherein the predetermined proximity is a particular location prior to the location.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

establishing a first communication link between the user and computer system; and

performing the permitting step during the first communication link in order to define the plurality of different predetermined proximities corresponding respectively with the plurality of different mobile vehicles in relation to the location.

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

performing the monitoring and providing steps with the computer system.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

establishing a second communications link between the computer system and the user;

during the second communications link, providing a first notification to the user relating to status of a first one of the vehicles;

establishing a third communications link between the computer system and the user; and

during the third communications link, providing a second notification to the user relating to status of a second one of the vehicles.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

providing a first message from the computer system to the user regarding status of the first one of the vehicles during the second communications link; and

providing a second message from the computer system to the user regarding status of the second one of the vehicles during the third communications link.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the computer system is a distributed architecture comprising a plurality of computers that are communicatively coupled.

12. A notification system comprising:

means for permitting a user to define a plurality of different predetermined proximities corresponding respectively with a plurality of mobile vehicles in relation to a location;

means for monitoring travel data associated with the plurality of mobile vehicles;

means for providing one or more communications to the user based upon the proximities of the vehicles.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the predetermined proximity is a distance between the vehicle and the location.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the predetermined proximity is a time period corresponding to the time it will take the vehicle to reach the location.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the predetermined proximity is a geographical vicinity about the location.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the vehicle travels a predetermined route having the location as a stop along the route and wherein the predetermined proximity is a stop location prior to the location.

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

means for establishing a first communication link between the user and computer system; and

where the means for permitting enables the user to define the plurality of different predetermined proximities corresponding respectively with the plurality of different mobile vehicles in relation to the location during the first communication link.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising the step of:

performing the monitoring and providing steps also with the computer system.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

means for establishing a second communications link between the computer system and the user;

during the second communications link, providing a first notification to the user relating to status of a first one of the vehicles;

establishing a third communications link between the computer system and the user; and

during the third communications link, providing a second notification to the user relating to status of a second one of the vehicles.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

means for providing a first message from the computer system to the user regarding status of the first one of the vehicles during the second communications link; and

means for providing a second message from the computer system to the user regarding status of the second one of the vehicles during the third communications link.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the computer system is a single computer or comprises a distributed architecture comprising a plurality of computers that are communicatively coupled.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein at least a part of the first communications link is over the Internet.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein said means for permitting comprises a web server for providing a web page.

24. A method for implementation by a computer system having one or more computers that are communicatively coupled, comprising:

permitting a user to establish a first communications link between the user and the computer system;

during the first communication, permitting a user to define a plurality of different predetermined proximities corresponding respectively with a plurality of different mobile vehicles in relation to a location;

monitoring travel data associated with the plurality of mobile vehicles;

initiating a first notification communication based upon a first user-defined proximity and a first one of the vehicles; and

initiating a second notification communication based upon a second user-defined proximity and a second one of the vehicles, the second user-defined proximity being different than the first user-defined proximity.