High-rate proximity detection with the ability to provide notification

• US 20070021128A1
• Filed: 09/25/2006
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Terrace Licensing LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Munson, Jonathan, Cole, Alan, Gupta, Vineet, Duri, Sastry, Wood, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,308,275 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• 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 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

Techniques are presented for identifying mobile devices within a coverage region of a wireless station. Positions for mobile devices, if any, within the coverage region are determined. It is then determined whether the positions are within one or more defined areas, called “notification areas” herein. Additionally, selected mobile devices within notification areas are sent messages. The selected mobile devices are selected via certain criteria, including, for instance, campaign specifications and subscriber information. A message can be sent to a mobile device if the subscriber corresponding to the mobile device has indicated an acceptance of a category of notifications for the message and for the publisher who is publishing the notifications. The category could be traffic conditions and the publisher could be a Department of Transportation having responsibility for a particular freeway. These are two examples of multiple criteria for selecting mobile devices to which messages could be sent.

Claims

1. A method for determining a position of one or more mobile devices, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying mobile devices within a coverage region of a wireless station;

determining a position for at least one of the mobile devices identified to be within the coverage region of the wireless station; and

determining whether the position for the at least one mobile device is within one or more defined notification areas within the coverage region, wherein one or more messages are associated with each notification area;

determining whether the at least one mobile device should be sent one or more messages when the at least one mobile device is determined to be within the one or more defined notification areas by using notification criteria; and

sending the one or more messages to the at least one mobile device when a determination has been made that the at least one device should be sent a message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the defined notification areas is defined via a plurality of coordinates.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of sending one or more messages to the at least one mobile device when the at least one mobile device is determined to be within the one or more defined notification areas.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of determining the one or more messages by accessing a database comprising the one or more messages, wherein the one or more messages correspond to one or more defined notification areas in the database.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the step of identifying mobile devices within a coverage region of a wireless station further comprises the step of periodically identifying mobile devices within a coverage region of a wireless station; and

the step of determining a position for at least one of the mobile devices within the coverage region of the wireless station further comprises the step of periodically determining a position for at least one of the mobile devices within the coverage region of the wireless station.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining a position for at least one of the mobile devices within the coverage region of the wireless station further comprises the step of periodically determining positions for all of the mobile devices within the coverage region of the wireless station.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said notification criteria are one or more of the following:

campaign specification criteria and subscriber preferences criteria.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the campaign specification criteria comprise one or more of a publisher identification (ID), a campaign ID, a notification area, a message, a message method, a start time, a stop time, one or more categories, and a message customization.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the subscriber preference criteria comprise accepted categories, blocked publishers, accepted publishers, and accepted campaigns.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of determining one or more message methods to be used to send the one or more messages and sending the one or more messages by using the determined one or more message methods.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of determining one or more message customizations to be used to send the one or more messages and sending the one or more messages by using the determined one or more message customizations.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a subscriber corresponds to the at least one mobile device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

a first category corresponds to the subscriber;

the one or more defined notification areas correspond to a second category; and

the method further comprises the step of sending one or more messages to the at least one mobile device when the first and second categories match and when the at least one mobile device is determined to be within the one or more defined notification areas.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of sending a proximity message indicating that the at least one mobile device is within the one or more defined notification areas when the at least one mobile device is determined to be within the one or more defined notification areas.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein each of said defined areas is associated with one or more notification servers, and wherein each notification server is associated with one or more geographic regions.

15. An article of manufacture for determining a position of one or more mobile devices, comprising:

a computer readable medium containing one or more programs which when executed implement the steps of;

identifying mobile devices within a coverage region of a wireless station;

determining a position for at least one of the mobile devices identified to be within the coverage region of the wireless station;

determining whether the position for the at least one mobile device is within one or more defined notification areas within the coverage region, wherein one or more messages are associated with each notification area;

determining whether the at least one mobile device should be sent one or more messages when the at least one mobile device is determined to be within the one or more defined notification areas by using notification criteria; and

sending the one or more messages to the at least one mobile device when a determination has been made that the at least one device should be sent a message.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein each of said defined areas is associated with one or more notification servers, and wherein each notification server is associated with one or more geographic regions.

16. An apparatus for determining a position of one or more mobile devices, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor, coupled to the memory, operative to;

identify mobile devices within a coverage region of a wireless station;

determine a position for at least one of the mobile devices identified to be within the coverage region of the wireless station;

determine whether the position for the at least one mobile device is within one or more defined notification areas within the coverage region, wherein one or more messages are associated with each notification area;

determine whether the at least one mobile device should be sent one or more messages when the at least one mobile device is determined to be within the one or more defined notification areas by using notification criteria; and

send the one or more messages to the at least one mobile device when a determination has been made that the at least one device should be sent a message.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is further operative to determine the one or more messages by accessing a database comprising the one or more messages, wherein the one or more messages correspond to one or more defined notification areas in the database.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is further operative:

when identifying mobile devices within a coverage region of a wireless station, to periodically identify mobile devices within a coverage region of a wireless station; and

when determining a position for at least one of the mobile devices within the coverage region of the wireless station, to periodically determine a position for at least one of the mobile devices within the coverage region of the wireless station.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is further operative, when determining a position for at least one of the mobile devices within the coverage region of the wireless station, to periodically determine positions for all of the mobile devices within the coverage region of the wireless station.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said notification criteria are one or more of the following:

campaign specification criteria and subscriber preferences criteria.

23. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein each of said defined areas is associated with one or more notification servers, and wherein each notification server is associated with one or more geographic regions.