System for Providing Location-Based Services in a Wireless Network, such as Locating Individuals and Coordinating Meetings

• US 20070202844A1
• Filed: 03/13/2007
• Published: 08/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wilson, Brian, Bhuyan, Krishna, Feinstein, Jacob, Gnuschke, Jerald
• Application Number:
  US11/685,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20070202844A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A system for providing wireless telecommunications services to mobile devices includes structure and functionality to obtain a request from a first mobile device for a meeting with a person associated with a second mobile device. The system automatically determines locations of the first and second mobile devices, and automatically provides information to at least the first or second mobile device regarding a meeting location based at least in part on the determined location of the first or second mobile device. The system can determine a local time, or time zone, of the first or second mobile devices. Further, with one or a minimum number of menu choices, a user of a mobile device may readily receive a location of a user or another mobile device.

Claims

1-57. -57. (canceled)

58. A computer-readable medium whose contents cause at least one telecommunication mobile device to perform a method to receive location-based services from at least one telecommunications server, the method comprising:

at the telecommunications mobile device, providing to the telecommunications server a request to locate a friend from a list of friends associated with a user of the telecommunications mobile device, wherein providing the request requires, from a main menu provided on the telecommunications mobile device, at most two menu choices from the user of the telecommunications mobile device; and

at the telecommunications mobile device, receiving and displaying to the user a location of another telecommunications mobile device associated with the friend based on the provided request to locate the friend.

59. The computer-readable medium of claim 58 wherein the computer-readable medium is a memory of the telecommunications mobile device.

60. The computer-readable medium of claim 58 wherein the computer-readable medium is a logical node in a computer network receiving the contents.

61. The computer-readable medium of claim 58 wherein the computer-readable medium is a computer-readable disk.

62. The computer-readable medium of claim 58 wherein the computer-readable medium is a data transmission medium carrying a generated data signal containing the contents.

63. The computer-readable medium of claim 58 wherein the computer-readable medium is a memory of a computer system.

64. An apparatus for locating a mobile device, comprising:

means for initiating a locate friends application;

means for displaying a list of friends;

means for selecting a friend to find, responsive to the means for displaying; and

means, responsive to the means for selecting the friend, for receiving an approximate street address location of a mobile device associated with the friend.

65. The apparatus of claim 64, further comprising:

means for coordinating a meeting with the friend based at least in part on the received street address.

66. The apparatus of claim 64, further comprising:

means for receiving textual directions to the street address; and

means for converting the textual directions to audible directions.

67. The apparatus of claim 64, further comprising:

means for providing categories of points of interest, wherein the categories of points of interest include meeting places, healthcare related places and public points of interest.

68. The apparatus of claim 64, further comprising:

means for providing a text message to the mobile device associated with the friend that another entity is attempting to locate the friend.

69. The apparatus of claim 64, further comprising:

means for providing categories of service, wherein the categories of service include governmental services, healthcare-related services, travel services, financial services, and locations associated with at least some of the services.

70. A method of determining a time parameter associated with a mobile device, comprising:

locating a geographical location of the mobile device; and

obtaining a time zone or local time of the mobile device based at least in part on the location.

71. The method of claim 70, further comprising:

coordinating a meeting between the mobile device and another mobile device based at least in part on the time zone or local time.

72. A location based service configured to perform the steps of:

obtaining a request from a first mobile device for a meeting with a person associated with a second mobile device;

automatically determining locations of the first or second mobile devices; and

automatically providing information to at least the first or second mobile device regarding a meeting location based at least in part on the determined location of the first or second mobile device.

73. The service of claim 72 further configured to perform the steps of:

receiving a request for a meeting at an approximate equidistant midpoint between the current locations of the first and second mobile devices; and

indicating to the first mobile device;

a list of options of midpoint neighborhoods or cities;

that the first and second mobile devices are in a same city or neighborhood;

or

that the first and second mobile devices are nearby or in a same cell site.

74. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave and representing a series of instructions which cause at least one telecommunications device to perform a method to receive location-based services from at least one telecommunications server, the method comprising:

at the telecommunications mobile device, providing to the telecommunications server a request to locate a friend from a list of friends associated with a user of the telecommunications mobile device, wherein providing the request requires, from a main menu provided on the telecommunications mobile device, at most two menu choices from the user of the telecommunications mobile device; and

at the telecommunications mobile device, receiving and displaying to the user a location of another telecommunications mobile device associated with the friend based on the provided request to locate the friend.

75. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave and representing a series of instructions which cause at least one telecommunications server to perform a method to provide location-based services to at least one telecommunications mobile device, the method comprising:

at the telecommunications server, receiving from the telecommunications mobile device a request to locate a telecommunications device associated with a friend from a list of friends associated with a user of the telecommunications mobile device; and

at the telecommunications server, providing the user with a location of another telecommunications mobile device associated with the friend based on the received request to locate the friend.

76. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave representing a program for causing a telecommunications system that provides wireless telecommunications services to a plurality of mobile devices to execute:

obtaining a request from a first mobile device for a meeting with a person associated with a second mobile device;

automatically determining locations of the first or second mobile devices; and

automatically providing information to a least the first or second mobile device regarding a meeting location based at least in part on the determined location of the first or second mobile device.