Location-based services

• US 20060270421A1
• Filed: 05/27/2005
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Where Incorporated (eBay Inc.)
• Inventors: Cunningham, Colin M., Phillips, Alan, Smith, Allen P., Zielinski, Stefan G., Palmer, Geoffrey M., Schroth, Frank
• Granted Patent: US 7,848,765 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/457
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0236 Threshold setting
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0261 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect trespassing over a fixed physical boundary, e.g. the end of a garden
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0272 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect exact location of child or item using triangulation other than GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/10 between location register and external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/14 between corresponding nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/08 between user and terminal device

Abstract

Provided herein are methods and systems relating to location-based services such as social networking, providing demographic information, tracking mobile devices, providing business information, providing an adaptable user interface, remotely effecting a change on a portable electronic device, providing a geofence, outputting location-based information on a mobile device, varying transmissions to and from a mobile device, providing location-based alerts, verifying transactions and tailoring information to the behavior of a user.

Claims

1. A method of providing an adaptable user interface for a portable electronic device, comprising:

obtaining a current location of a portable electronic device by a location facility associated with the portable electronic device;

associating the current location with a file that contains information for providing a capability for a user interface; and

displaying the user interface based on the contents of the file.

2. A method of claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device is selected from the group consisting of a mobile phone, a GPS enabled mobile phone, a CDMA enabled mobile phone, a GPRS enabled mobile phone, a mobile phone with a camera, a mobile phone with browser capabilities, a GPS unit, a tracking unit, a portable electronic device with a compass, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant, an MP3 player, a camera, a handheld device, a pager and a portable gaming device.

3. A method of claim 1, wherein the file is selected from the group consisting of a table, a database entry, an XML file, a document, a script, and a text file.

4. A method of claim 1, wherein the file includes a menu associated with a type of location.

5. A method of claim 1, wherein the file includes a menu that is presented when a user stops at a location.

6. A method of claim 1, wherein the interface varies based on at least one of the speed and the direction of the user.

7. A method of claim 1, wherein the interface includes a point of interest based on the location of the user.

8. A method of claim 7, wherein the interface is based in part on the accessibility of a point of interest to the user.

9. A method of providing a location-based service, comprising:

providing a user interface that enables a user to define a geofence about a location.

10. A method of claim 9, wherein the user defines the geofence on a screen using a pointing device.

11. A method of claim 9, further comprising allowing a user to define more than one geofence.

12. A method of claim 9, wherein the user interface is a browser.

13. A method of claim 9, wherein the geofence may be associated with a moving location that is associated with a portable electronic device.

14. A method of claim 9, further comprising taking an action based on an interaction of an entity with a geofence.

15. A method of claim 14, wherein the action is sending an alert when a person'"'"'s portable electronic facility crosses the geofence.

16. A method of sending location-based alerts, comprising:

determining the location of a portable electronic device; and

sending an alert based on the location of the portable electronic device, wherein the alert is in response of the location of a portable electronic device with respect to a geofence.

17. A method of claim 16, wherein the alert is sent if a portable electronic device is within a geofence.

18. A method of claim 16, wherein the alert is sent if a portable electronic device is within a geofence for a certain period of time.

19. A method of claim 16, wherein the alert is sent if a portable electronic device is outside of a geofence.

20. A method of claim 16, wherein the alert is sent if a portable electronic device is outside of a geofence for a certain period of time.

21. A method of claim 16, wherein the alert is contingent on the location of other portable electronic devices.

22. A method of claim 16, wherein the alert is in response to whether a worker at least one of arrives at and departs a place of business.

23. A method of claim 16, wherein the alert is in response to whether a person at least one of arrives at and departs a home.

24. A method of claim 16, wherein the alert is in response to whether a person at least one of arrives at and departs a school.

25. A method of claim 16, wherein the alert is in response to whether a passenger at least one of arrives at and departs a location.

26. A method of claim 16, wherein the alert is in response to whether a shipment at least one of arrives at a location and departs a location.

27. A method of claim 16, wherein the alert is at least one of an audio alert, a visual alert, a fax alert, an email, an instant message, a text message, a trigger for a computer program, an SMS, an internet protocol alert, a voice alert, a voicemail, a vibration, a GPRS alert, a CDMA alert, and a WAP protocol alert.

28. A method of transmitting information to a portable electronic device, comprising:

securely transmitting information to a portable electronic device based on location information received from the portable electronic device.

29. A method of claim 28, wherein the portable electronic device has instant messaging capabilities, and the location-based information is sent via instant messaging.

30. A method of providing a location-based service, comprising:

taking a picture using a portable electronic device; and

associating a location with the picture based on a location-determination facility associated with the portable electronic device.

31. A method of claim 30, further comprising storing the picture and the location information in a file.

32. A system for providing an adaptable user interface for a portable electronic device, comprising:

a location facility for obtaining a current location of a portable electronic device;

a user interface generator for enabling a capability of the user interface of the portable electronic device, wherein the user interface is generated based on a file that is associated with the location determined by the location facility; and

a display for displaying the user interface based on the contents of the file.

33. A system of claim 32, wherein the portable electronic device is selected from the group consisting of a mobile phone, a GPS enabled mobile phone, a CDMA enabled mobile phone, a GPRS enabled mobile phone, a mobile phone with a camera, a mobile phone with browser capabilities, a GPS unit, a tracking unit, a portable electronic device with a compass, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant, an MP3 player, a camera, a handheld device, a pager and a portable gaming device.

34. A system of claim 32, wherein the file is selected from the group consisting of a table, a database entry, an XML file, a document, a script, and a text file.

35. A system of claim 32, wherein the file includes a menu associated with a type of location.

36. A system of claim 32, wherein the file includes a menu that is presented when a user stops at a location.

37. A system of claim 32, wherein the interface varies based on at least one of the speed and the direction of the user.

38. A system of claim 32, wherein the interface includes a point of interest based on the location of the user.

39. A system of claim 38, wherein the interface is based in part on the accessibility of a point of interest to the user.

40. A system for providing a location-based service, comprising:

a user interface that enables a user to define a geofence about a location.

41. A system of claim 40, wherein the user defines the geofence on a screen using a pointing device.

42. A system of claim 40, further comprising an interface for allowing a user to define more than one geofence.

43. A system of claim 40, wherein the user interface is a browser.

44. A system of claim 40, wherein the geofence may be associated with a moving location that is associated with a portable electronic device.

45. A system of claim 40, further comprising a facility for taking an action based on an interaction of an entity with a geofence.

46. A system of claim 44, wherein the action is sending an alert when a person'"'"'s portable electronic facility enters the geofence.

47. A system of sending location-based alerts, comprising:

a location facility for determining the location of a portable electronic device; and

an alert facility for sending an alert based on the location of the portable electronic device, wherein the alert is in response of the location of a portable electronic device with respect to a geofence.

48. A system of claim 47, wherein the alert is sent if a portable electronic device is within a geofence.

49. A system of claim 47, wherein the alert is sent if a portable electronic device is within a geofence for a certain period of time.

50. A system of claim 47, wherein the alert is sent if a portable electronic device is outside of a geofence.

51. A system of claim 47, wherein the alert is sent if a portable electronic device is outside of a geofence for a certain period of time.

52. A system of claim 47, wherein the alert is contingent on the location of other portable electronic devices.

53. A system of claim 47, wherein the alert is in response to whether a worker at least one of arrives at and departs a place of business.

54. A system of claim 47, wherein the alert is in response to whether a person at least one of arrives at and departs home.

55. A system of claim 47, wherein the alert is in response to whether a person at least one of arrives at and departs a school.

56. A system of claim 47, wherein the alert is in response to whether a passenger at least one of arrives at and departs a location.

57. A system of claim 47, wherein the alert is in response to whether a shipment at least one of arrives at a location and departs a location.

58. A system of claim 47, wherein the alert is at least one of an audio alert, a visual alert, a fax alert, an email, an instant message, a text message, a trigger for a computer program, an SMS, an internet protocol alert, a voice alert, a voicemail, a vibration, a GPRS alert, a CDMA alert, and a WAP protocol alert.

59. A system for transmitting information to a portable electronic device, comprising:

a secure messaging facility for securely transmitting information to a portable electronic device based on location information received from the portable electronic device.

60. A system of claim 59, wherein the portable electronic device has instant messaging capabilities, and the location-based information is sent via instant messaging.

61. A system for providing a location-based service, comprising:

a portable electronic device including a digital camera for taking a picture; and

a location determination facility for associating a location with the picture.

62. A system of claim 61, further comprising a file storage facility for storing the picture and the location information in a file.