Device and method for determining where crowds exist

• US 20070142065A1
• Filed: 12/16/2005
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Richey, William, Thomas, Gary, Dunko, Greg
• Granted Patent: US 7,774,001 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/457
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• 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

A portable communication device includes an application program for determining crowdedness of a desired location. The portable communication device executes the application program to communicate within a wireless communication system for requesting mobile critical mass information for at least one desired location. The mobile critical mass information for the at least one desired location is received and converted into a user-understandable format. The converted mobile critical mass information is displayed as crowdedness information on a display of the portable communication device. Portable communication device users can seek out or avoid crowds depending on their preference.

Claims

1. A method of determining where crowds exist, the method comprising:

requesting mobile critical mass information for at least one desired location from a mobile network server;

receiving mobile critical mass information corresponding to the at least one desired location;

converting the received mobile critical mass information into crowdedness information; and

outputting the crowdedness information in a user-sensible format.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mobile critical mass information includes presence information for all users or subscribers in proximity to the at least one desired location.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mobile network server is a presence server.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mobile critical mass information is indicative of a number of portable communication devices in proximity to the at least one desired location.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the crowdedness information is indicative of a number of portable communication devices in proximity to the at least one desired location.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the crowdedness information is indicative of a number of people in proximity to the at least one desired location.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the crowdedness information is indicative of crowdedness of the at least one desired location relative to the location'"'"'s capacity.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the outputting step includes displaying the crowdedness information in a graphical format.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the graphical format includes displaying crowdedness information on a map including the at least one desired location.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the desired location is transmitted and corresponds to the location from which mobile critical mass information is requested.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein steps of the method are executed according to an application program loaded or stored on a portable communication device.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the portable communication device is a mobile phone.

13. A program stored on a machine readable medium, the program being suitable for use in a portable communication device, wherein when the program is loaded in memory in the portable communication device and executed causes the portable communication device to:

request mobile critical mass information for at least one desired location from a mobile network server;

receive mobile critical mass information corresponding to the at least one desired location;

convert the received mobile critical mass information into crowdedness information; and

output the crowdedness information in a user-sensible format.

14. The program according to claim 13, wherein the program causes the portable communication device to transmit its location when it requests mobile critical mass information.

15. The program according to claim 13, wherein the mobile critical mass information includes presence information for all users or subscribers in proximity to the at least one desired location.

16. The program according to claim 13, wherein the crowdedness information is indicative of a number of people in proximity to the at least one desired location.

17. The program according to claim 13, wherein the program causes the portable communication device to display the crowdedness information in a graphical format.

18. The program according to claim 17, wherein the graphical format comprises a map including crowdedness information for the at least one desired location.

19. The program according to claim 13, wherein the portable communication device is a mobile phone.

20. A portable communication device comprising:

a memory; and

a processor that executes an application program within the memory, the application program when executed causing the portable communication device to;

request mobile critical mass information for at least one desired location from a mobile network server;

receive mobile critical mass information corresponding to the at least one desired location;

convert the received mobile critical mass information into crowdedness information; and

output the crowdedness information in a user-sensible format.

21. A method of determining where crowds exist, the method comprising:

collecting mobile critical mass information for a plurality of portable communication devices;

converting the mobile critical mass information into crowdedness information for a given location; and

transmitting the crowdedness information to a requesting portable communication device for output in a user-sensible format.