MANAGING LOCATION INFORMATION FOR A GROUP OF USERS

• US 20060265484A1
• Filed: 05/17/2005
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated (Kyndryl Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Delia, Wayne M., Kelley, Edward E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,660,872 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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 user designated as a group leader of a group of users manages location information for the group of users using a base device. In particular, a client device is identified for each user in the group of users and an area within which each user in the group of users is to remain is defined. Subsequently, the base device can obtain location information for the client device(s) and process the location information for use by the group leader. For example, the base device can display the current location of one or more users, display the relative location of one or more users with respect to the group leader, and/or determine if one or more users are outside of the area. The group leader can then coordinate the group by communicating with one or more users in the group. In this manner, the group leader can make more informed decisions about the status of each group member and more efficiently coordinate the re-grouping and/or movement of the group of users.

Claims

1. A method of managing location information for a group of users, the method comprising:

obtaining a base device, wherein the base device is used by one of the group of users designated as a group leader;

identifying a set of client devices, wherein each client device is used by one of the group of users;

defining an area for the group of users, wherein each user in the group of users is to remain within the area;

obtaining location information for each client device in the set of client devices; and

processing the location information on the base device for use by the group leader.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising initializing a tracking session for the set of client devices and the base device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the area is defined as a maximum radius from the group leader.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising overriding the defined area for at least one of the group of users, wherein the at least one of the group of users is allowed to leave the area.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining location information step includes:

requesting location information for at least one of the set of client devices; and

receiving location information from the at least one of the set of client devices.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the obtaining location information step further includes defining an update period, wherein the requesting and receiving steps are periodically performed for each of the set of client devices based on the update period.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting location information for the base device from a location identification system;

receiving the location information for the base device from the location identification system; and

providing the location information for the base device for processing by at least one of the set of client devices.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a request to one of the set of client devices for the corresponding user to move to a location of the group leader.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that one of the client devices is outside the area.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a help request from one of the client devices.

11. A computer-readable medium for enabling a computer infrastructure to manage location information for a group of users, the computer-readable medium comprising computer program code for performing the method steps of claim 1.

12. A method of managing location information for a group of users on a base device used by one of the group of users designated as a group leader, the method comprising:

identifying a set of client devices, wherein each client device is used by one of the group of users;

defining an area for the group of users, wherein the area comprises a maximum radius from the group leader and wherein each user in the group of users is to remain within the area;

defining an update period; and

periodically obtaining location information for each client device in the set of client devices based on the update period.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining whether one of the client devices is outside the area based on the location information for the one of the client devices; and

generating an alarm when one of the client devices is outside the area.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising periodically obtaining location information for the base device, wherein the determining step is further based on the location information for the base device.

15. A system for managing location information for a group of users, the system comprising:

a base device used by one of the group of users designated as a group leader, the base device including;

means for identifying a set of client devices, wherein each client device is used by one of the group of users;

means for defining an area for the group of users, wherein each user in the group of users is to remain within the area;

means for obtaining location information for each client device in the set of client devices; and

means for processing the location information.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the base device further includes means for overriding the defined area for at least one of the group of users.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the base device further includes:

means for requesting location information from a location identification system;

means for receiving the location information from the location identification system; and

means for providing the location information for processing by at least one of the set of client devices.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the base device further includes means for determining that one of the client devices is outside the area.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising at least one client device including:

means for requesting location information from a location identification system;

means for receiving the location information from the location identification system; and

means for providing the location information for processing by the base device.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the at least one client device further includes:

means for generating a help request; and

means for providing the help request for processing by the base device.