Proximity-based task alerts

• US 20070188319A1
• Filed: 02/16/2006
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Upton, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,541,940 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.130
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 1/08 using electric transmission ; transformation of alarm signals to electrical signals from a different medium, e.g. transmission of an electric alarm signal upon detection of an audible alarm signal

Abstract

A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code to generate proximity-based task alerts in a mobile computing device. A geographic location is linked to a set of tasks in a task list. A user selects a proximity to the geographic location for the alarm to form a selected proximity. A determination is made as to whether the mobile computing device is within the selected proximity. A proximity task-reminder alarm is triggered in response to making a determination that the mobile computing device is within the selected proximity.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for generating proximity-based task alerts in a mobile computing device, the computer implemented method comprising:

associating a geographic location with a set of tasks in a task list;

selecting a proximity of the geographic location to form a selected proximity;

determining whether the mobile computing device is within the selected proximity; and

responsive to a determination that the mobile computing device is within the selected proximity, triggering a proximity task-reminder alarm.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the selected proximity is a specified distance from the geographic location.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting the geographic location from a list of saved geographic locations.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting the geographic location using a navigational mapping feature.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

adding a location alarm trigger to a task list function of a mobile computing device.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

adding a new task to the task list; and

linking the new task to the set of tasks linked to the geographic location.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the step of triggering a proximity task-reminder alarm further comprises:

presenting the set of tasks associated with the geographic location.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

linking a task in the set of tasks to a set of geographic locations, wherein the proximity task-reminder alarm is triggered when the mobile computing device is within the proximity of a geographic location in the set of geographic locations.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining whether the mobile computing device is within the proximity of the geographic location is made based upon information provided by a global positioning system receiver.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the selected proximity is a default proximity.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting a date and time to form a time-based alarm trigger, wherein the proximity task-reminder alarm is issued when the mobile computing device is within the selected proximity on or after the selected date and time.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the proximity task-reminder alarm is presented as an alarm type selected from the group consisting of a graphic alarm, a sound alarm, a flashing visual alarm, and a vibration alarm.

13. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer usable program code for generating proximity-based task alerts in a mobile computing device, said computer program product comprising;

computer usable program code for linking a geographic location to a set of tasks in a task list;

computer usable program code for selecting a proximity of the geographic location to form a selected proximity;

computer usable program code for determining whether the mobile computing device is within the selected proximity; and

computer usable program code for triggering a proximity task-reminder alarm in response to determining that the mobile computing device is within the selected proximity.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising:

computer usable program code for selecting the geographic location from a list of saved geographic locations.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising:

computer usable program code for selecting the geographic location using a navigational mapping feature.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising:

computer usable program code for adding a location alarm trigger to a task list function of a mobile computing device.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising:

selecting a date and time to form a time-based alarm trigger, wherein the proximity task-reminder alarm is issued when the mobile computing device is within the selected proximity on or after the selected date and time.

18. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising:

computer usable program code for linking a task in the set of tasks to a set of geographic locations, wherein the proximity task-reminder alarm is triggered when the mobile computing device is within the selected proximity of a geographic location in the set of geographic locations, and wherein the proximity task-reminder alarm is presented as an alarm type selected from the group consisting of a graphic alarm, a sound alarm, a flashing visual alarm, and a vibration alarm.

19. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the step of determining whether the mobile computing device is within the selected proximity is made based upon information provided by a global positioning system receiver.

20. An apparatus for generating proximity-based task alerts in a mobile computing device, the apparatus comprising:

a bus;

a storage device connected to the bus, wherein the storage devices contains a computer usable program product;

a processor unit, wherein the processor unit executes the computer usable program product to link a geographic location to a set of tasks in a task list;

select a proximity of the geographic location to form a selected proximity;

determine whether the mobile computing device is within the selected proximity; and

trigger a proximity task-reminder alarm in response to a determination that the mobile computing device is within the selected proximity.