Use of triggers and a location hypercube to enable push-based location applications

• US 20060111126A1
• Filed: 11/04/2005
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Longhorn Acquisition LLC (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Longhorn Acquisition LLC (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Chithambaram, Nemmara
• Application Number:
  US11/267,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20060111126A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.500
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• 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 8/08 Mobility data transfer

Abstract

A method, system, and article of manufacture enable the use of location based applications (LBA). A location server (LS) on a wireless network receives trigger information from a LBA that is located outside of the wireless network. The trigger information defines a source locatable and spatial information (defining spatial criteria for a target locatable). Triggers are evaluated to determine if a trigger has been activated by the locatables interacting with each other pursuant to the spatial information/criteria. A location answer is pushed to a location based application outside of the network if a trigger has been activated (i.e., if the source and target locatables comply with the spatial criteria).

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for enabling in-network location based services, comprising:

(a) maintaining, in a location server on a network, trigger information, for one or more triggers wherein the trigger information defines;

(i) a source locatable that specifies an object of interest;

(ii) spatial information that defines spatial criteria, for a target locatable with respect to the source locatable, that will activate the trigger;

(b) evaluating the triggers by determining if the source locatable and target locatable comply with the spatial criteria;

(c) pushing a location answer to a location based application outside of the network if the source locatable and the target locatable comply with the spatial criteria.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger information further comprises a notification flag that describes a type of interaction between the source locatable and the spatial criteria with respect to the target locatable.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger information further comprises temporal information that defines a time period for which the trigger will be active.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the source locatable represents a location of a mobile device

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the spatial criteria provides for the target locatable being within a specified distance of the source locatable.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the source locatable represents a fixed location.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the spatial criteria provides for the target locatable entering a defined area around the source locatable.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the spatial criteria provides for the target locatable exiting a defined area around the source locatable.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if the trigger is active by:

obtaining a location area for the target locatable from a passive database;

comparing the location area to a location area index for the trigger; and

filtering out triggers if the location area is not within the location area index.

10. A system for enabling in-network location based services in a computer system comprising:

(a) a persistent datastore communicatively coupled to a location server;

(b) trigger information stored in the persistent datastore, wherein the trigger information defines;

(i) a source locatable that specifies an object of interest;

(ii) spatial information that defines spatial criteria for a target locatable with respect to the source locatable that will activate the trigger;

(c) a location server on a wireless network, wherein the location server is configured to;

(i) maintain trigger information for one or more triggers;

(ii) evaluate the triggers by determining if the source locatable and target locatable comply with the spatial criteria; and

(v) push a location answer to a location based application outside of the network if the source locatable and the target locatable comply with the spatial criteria.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the trigger information further comprises a notification flag that describes a type of interaction between the source locatable and the spatial criteria with respect to the target locatable.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the trigger information further comprises temporal information that defines a time period for which the trigger will be active.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the source locatable represents a location of a mobile device

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the spatial criteria provides for the target locatable being within a specified distance of the source locatable.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the source locatable represents a fixed location.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the spatial criteria provides for the target locatable entering a defined area around the source locatable.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the spatial criteria provides for the target locatable exiting a defined area around the source locatable.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the location server is further configured to determine if the trigger is active by:

obtaining a location area for the target locatable from a passive database;

comparing the location area to a location area index for the trigger; and

filtering out triggers if the location area is not within the location area index.