Efficiently determining the location of a mobile communications device system and methods

• US 20070015520A1
• Filed: 07/12/2005
• Published: 01/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Casey, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 7,515,917 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.300
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0018 Transmission from mobile station to base station
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention comprise systems and methods related to the provision of location based services via a mobile communications device. In different embodiments, a communication system is described, comprising a mobile communications device, a mobile communications base station, and a server computer system. The location of the device may be correlated with certain user preferences stored on the server computer system. In various embodiments, components of the larger system are described. In some cases, various location related mapping functions for a device are discussed. In other embodiments, systems and methods which provide for activities to be undertaken based on the location of a device are described. In still other embodiments, the disclosure addresses systems and methods of efficiently determining the location of a mobile device. In some embodiments, different notification schemes based on the location of a device and specified preferences are described. In various other embodiments, the disclosure addresses systems and methods for keyword monitoring based on the location of a device.

Claims

1. A system for tracking the location of a mobile communications device, which comprises:

the mobile communications device configured to;

receive a set of data identifying the location of the device; and

transmit the set of data according to a power efficiency algorithm, wherein the algorithm specifies a variable interval between each transmission, each interval corresponding to the earlier of;

a server computer system query;

a time interval metric;

a distance movement metric; and

a geographic boundary metric;

a mobile communications base station, in communication with the mobile communications device via a wireless connection; and

the server computer system in communication with the base station, the server computer system configured to;

receive the set of data;

associate the set of data with a user;

correlate the set of data with preferences of the user regarding sharing of location data, the preferences stored in a database at the server computer system;

filter the set of data according to the preferences; and

transmit the filtered data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of data comprises GPS coordinate data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the GPS coordinate data comprises GPS codes and a GPS navigation message.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the preferences include which users may access the set of data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the server computer system is further configured to store the set of data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the server computer system is configured to transmit the set of data at intervals related to time, movement of the device, and geographic boundary crossing.

7. A method for providing a set of data identifying the location of a mobile communications device from the mobile communications device, which comprises:

receiving the set of data;

transmitting the set of data according to a power efficiency algorithm, wherein the algorithm specifies a variable interval between each transmission, each interval corresponding to the earlier of;

a server computer system query;

a time interval metric;

a distance movement metric; and

a geographic boundary metric.

8. The method of claim 7, which comprises the additional step of receiving data from a server computer system which modifies the intervals.

9. The method of claim 7, which comprises the additional step of transmitting data to a server computer system to modify preferences for a user of the device regarding sharing of location data.

10. A method of locating a mobile communications device, which comprises:

providing a server computer system;

receiving a set of data identifying the location of a mobile communications device from the mobile communications device, the device transmitting the set of data according to variable intervals, wherein the transmission includes intervals corresponding to a distance movement metric and a geographic boundary metric;

associating the set of data with a user;

correlating the set of data with preferences of the user regarding sharing of location data, the preferences stored in a database associated with the server computer system;

filtering the set of data according to the preferences; and

transmitting the filtered data.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the set of data is received from the mobile communications device transmitting the set of data according to a power efficiency algorithm, wherein the algorithm specifies a variable interval between each transmission, each interval corresponding to the earlier of:

a server computer system query;

a time interval metric;

a distance movement metric; and

a geographic boundary metric.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the mobile communications device comprises a cellular telephone.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the set of data comprises GPS coordinate data.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the GPS coordinate data comprises GPS codes and a GPS navigation message.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the transmitting step comprises transmitting the filtered data to an other user.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the preferences include a specification regarding an other user among a plurality of other users who may access the set of data; and

the user specifies the other user who may access the set of data.

17. The method of claim 16, which further comprises receiving a request from the other user to access the set of data, wherein the transmitting step comprises transmitting the filtered data to the other user.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the preferences include a plurality of access levels granting different access rights to the set of data, wherein the user specifies the access level for each other user.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiving step further comprises storing the set of data in a database.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the preferences further include a specification regarding an other user among a plurality of other users who may access the stored set of data.

21. The method of claim 20, which further comprises receiving a request from the other user to access the stored set of data, wherein the transmitting step further comprises transmitting the filtered data to the other user.

22. The method of claim 10, which further comprises receiving a request from an other user to access the set of data, wherein the transmitting step further comprises transmitting the filtered data to the other user.

23. The method of claim 10, wherein,

the receiving step further comprises receiving an additional set of data identifying locations of a plurality of mobile communications devices from the devices;

the associating step further comprises associating each of the plurality of mobile communications devices with a other users;

the correlating step comprises correlating the data related to the location of the plurality of mobile communications device with preferences of each other user associated with each device.

24. The method of claim 10, wherein the transmitting step further comprises transmitting the filtered data at intervals related to time, movement of the device, and geographic boundaries.

25. The method of claim 10, wherein the filtered data comprises image data which includes a map.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the location of the device is graphically represented as an icon.

27. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the computer-implementable method of claim 10 for locating a mobile communications device.