System and method of wireless proximity awareness

• US 20050157689A1
• Filed: 10/30/2003
• Published: 07/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Schnurr, Jeffrey R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,035,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• 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 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

The present application, a system for proximity awareness for mobile data communication on an electronic communication device comprising of a client application on an electronic communication device communicating across a wireless network, and an awareness server consisting of a plurality of server objects that monitors multiple devices on a wireless communication network. In addition, the client application on the electronic communication device comprises of a plurality of software objects. The client application periodically broadcasts the current wireless tower that the device is communicating on, to the awareness server. The awareness server tracks the location of other Tower IDs of other users in the individual'"'"'s contact list. If there is a match in Tower IDs, an alert is sent to both users that they are in proximity to each other.

Claims

1. A system for proximity awareness for mobile data communication on an electronic communication device comprising:

a client application on said device communicating across a wireless network, the client application comprising a plurality of software objects; and

an awareness server consisting of a plurality of server objects that monitors multiple devices on a wireless communication network.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said system utilizes a client—

server architecture wherein a thin client resides on the device and larger, more robust server component resides on the server.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said awareness server is responsible for processing of information.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of software objects of said client application comprises a client listener object wherein said client listener object listens for incoming network data from the wireless network through via a receiver of said device.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of software objects of said client application comprises and alerter object wherein said alerter object triggers a plurality of notifications to alert a user of said device of proximity to another device.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of software objects of said client application comprises an updater object wherein said updater object provides an update of network location via a transmitter of said device to the wireless network and the awareness server.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said plurality of software objects of said client application comprises a timer object wherein said object periodically sends out an alert to the updater object to provide a location update.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of server objects further comprises a server listener object wherein said server listener object listens to incoming requests from said devices.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of server comprises a monitor object wherein said monitor object receives incoming update requests and monitors a list of devices and locations to determine a match.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said awareness server further comprises of an updater object wherein said object updates the list of monitored values.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of server objects comprises an server alerter object wherein said server alerter object sends out an alert notification to said device to trigger notification alerts.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said awareness server resides securely behind an organization'"'"'s unsolicited network traffic controller.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein said awareness server monitors devices on multiple wireless communication networks.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said awareness server monitors different types of devices.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said client application operates on different devices and each of said different devices communicates with said awareness server.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein said system comprises a method for notifying users of alerts.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the method of notification is selected from the group consisting of:

a vibrating motion created by a vibrating motor on said device;

a light display emitted from a Light Emitting Diode on said device; and

a plurality of tones created by the speaker on said device.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein said client application transmits a device identifier and location identifier to said awareness server to report device status.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein data sent across the wireless network from the client application on the device to the awareness server is encrypted.

20. A method of awareness notification comprising of the steps:

finding location status of device;

reporting device status and location update to awareness server;

monitoring ID list on awareness server;

matching devices in a similar location on awareness server; and

sending out awareness notification to matching devices indicating device proximity on awareness server.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said updater object of said awareness server updates a list of device IDs and location IDs substantially frequent.