Method of and service architecture for reminding a user subscribed to a communication network

• US 20050012611A1
• Filed: 10/06/2003
• Published: 01/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Osman, Rich
• Granted Patent: US 7,274,299 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.130
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method of reminding a user subscribed to a communication network, and a corresponding location reminder service architecture is provided. According to one embodiment, the method includes the steps of defining a reminder profile for a specific terminal and of acquiring location information for the specific terminal attached to the communication network. Furthermore, the method involves the steps of comparing the acquired location information with the defined reminder profile, and if the acquired location information matches the defined reminder profile, a step of issuing issues a trigger signaling to at least one user, and an outputting step outputs a reminder notification to at least one user at a respective user terminal.

Claims

1. A method of reminding a user subscribed to a communication network, the method comprising the steps:

defining a defined reminder profile for a specific terminal;

acquiring location information for said specific terminal attached to a communication network;

comparing said acquired location information with said defined reminder profile;

if said acquired location information matches said defined reminder profile, issuing a trigger signaling to at least one user; and

outputting a reminder notification to said at least one user at a respective user terminal.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of defining comprises defining the defined reminder profile to comprise at least one a reminder location, and a spatial reminder range defined with reference to said reminder location.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein said step of defining comprises defining the defined reminder profile to comprise a temporal reminder range defined with reference to at least one of a current date and time.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of acquiring comprises acquiring the location information based on a geolocation technique.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein step of acquiring comprises selecting said geolocation technique from one of:

Global Positioning System;

Assisted-GPS;

Observed Time Difference;

Time Of Arrival;

Time Difference of Arrival;

Angle of Arrival;

multipath fingerprinting;

Timing Advance;

Enhanced Forward Link Triangulation;

Time Difference of Arrival &

Received Signal Strength;

Time Difference of Arrival &

Angle of Arrival;

Assisted Forward Link Triangulation &

Assisted GPS; and

Enhanced Observed time Difference &

Assisted GPS.

6. A location reminder service architecture for reminding a user subscribed to a communication network, the architecture comprising:

definition means for defining a defined reminder profile for a specific terminal;

acquisition means for acquiring location information for said specific terminal attached to a communication network;

comparison means for comparing said acquired location information with said defined reminder profile;

trigger signaling output means, responsive to said acquired location information matching said defined reminder profile, for outputting a trigger signaling to at least one user; and

output means for outputting a reminder notification to said at least one user at a respective user terminal.

7. An architecture according to claim 6, wherein said definition means comprises a man-machine interface at a terminal.

8. An architecture according to claim 6, wherein said acquisition means operates based on a geolocation technology.

9. An architecture according to claim 6, wherein said comparison means is located at said specific terminal.

10. An architecture according to claim 6, wherein said comparison means is located at an application server (1a) associated with said communication network.

11. An architecture according to claim 9, wherein said trigger signaling output means is located at said specific terminal.

12. An architecture according to claim 10, wherein said trigger signaling output means is located at said application server associated with said communication network.

13. An architecture according to claim 6, wherein said output means is located at said specific terminal.

14. An architecture according to claim 13, wherein said output means comprises a man-machine interface for outputting a visual and/or optical notification to the user of said terminal

15. A terminal device, comprising:

definition means for defining a defined reminder profile for a terminal;

acquisition means for acquiring location information for said terminal;

comparison means for comparing said acquired location information with said defined reminder profile;

trigger signaling output means, responsive to an output signal of said comparison means, for outputting a trigger signaling; and

output means for, responsive to said trigger signal, for outputting a reminder notification to at least one user at a respective user terminal.

16. A terminal device according to claim 15, wherein said trigger signaling output means output a trigger signal to said output means internally within said terminal and output a trigger signal to an external device, wherein at the external device the trigger signal is supplied to an output means of at least one third party'"'"'s terminal.

17. A network element, comprising:

receiving means for receiving and storing a defined reminder profile defined for a terminal;

acquisition means for acquiring location information for said terminal;

comparison means for comparing said acquired location information with said defined reminder profile, and

trigger signaling output means, responsive to an output signal of said comparison means, for outputting a trigger signaling.

18. A network element according to claim 17, wherein said trigger signaling output means output a trigger signal to an external device, wherein at the external device the trigger signal is supplied to an output means of at least one third party'"'"'s terminal.