METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING A LOCATION-BASED ALERT SERVICE IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATION ENVIRONMENT

• US 20070298757A1
• Filed: 09/13/2006
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Point-I Co., Ltd. (IOKCOMPANY Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Point-I Co., Ltd. (IOKCOMPANY Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ahn, Byungik
• Granted Patent: US 7,818,016 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/006 with transmission via telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and a system for providing a location-based alert service in a wireless communication environment, wherein, in a case where a specific user is located in a certain zone using a mobile communication terminal and a mobile communication network, the number of location inquiries is minimized using a moving distance ratio, a moving direction and a Minimum Bounding Rectangle (MBR) in providing the a location-based alert service for informing that the specific user is located in a certain zone.

Claims

1. A system for providing a location-based alert service to generate an alert upon monitoring a location of a mobile client relative to an alert zone, comprising:

a client for inputting a location alert generation condition for using the location-based alert services;

a location-based alert server for receiving location information on the mobile client to minimize the number of location inquiries using a moving distance ratio and a moving direction of the mobile client;

a location information DB for receiving and storing the location information on the mobile client from the location-based alert server; and

a location alert service server for receiving and storing the location alert generation condition from the client, and determining whether the mobile client exists in an alert range set by the client by receiving a location data of the mobile client from the location-based alert server to thereby generate an alert.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the moving distance ratio is an index indicating how far the mobile client currently moves as compared with a previous moving distance, and the moving direction is calculated by the previous and current distances between the mobile client and the alert zone.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the location-based alert server increases or decreases a time interval for requesting a next location with respect to a plurality of mobile communication terminals and a plurality of alert zones to thereby minimize the number of the location inquiries using the moving distance ratio of the mobile client and previous and current distances between the mobile client and the alert zone.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the location-based alert server defines an upper limit and a lower limit of a time interval for requesting a next location of the mobile client, respectively defines the upper and lower limits as a maximum and minimum time intervals for requesting the next location, and increases or decreases a location request time interval in a range of the upper and lower limits.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the location-based alert server defines an upper limit and a lower limit of a moving distance of the mobile client, respectively defines the upper and lower limits as a maximum moving distance, in which the width of the moving distance is a specific maximum value or more, and the minimum moving distance in which the width thereof is a specific minimum value or less, and increases or decreases a next location request time interval of the mobile client by determining whether the current moving distance is out of the range of the upper and lower limits.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in a case where the current moving distance of the mobile client is smaller than or equal to a lower limit value of the moving distance, the location-based alert server increases a time interval for inquiring a next location of the mobile client to reduce the number of location requests, and in a case where the current moving distance of the mobile client is larger than or equal to the upper limit value of the moving distance, the location-based alert server decreases a time interval for inquiring the next location of the mobile client.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in a case where a ratio of the current moving distance with respect to the previous moving distance is smaller than or equal to 1 while the current moving distance of the mobile client exists in the range of the upper and lower limits, the location-based alert server increases a time interval for inquiring the next location of the mobile client to reduce the number of location requests, and in a case where a ratio of the current moving distance with respect to the previous moving distance is larger than 1 while the current moving distance of the mobile client exists in the range of the upper and lower limits, the location-based alert server decreases a time interval for inquiring the next location of the mobile client.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the location-based alert server increases or decreases a time interval for requesting the next location of the mobile client using a ratio between the previous and current distances of the mobile client, an initial location inquiry time interval of the mobile client, and a coefficient for adjusting a rapid increase/decrease of a time interval of requesting the next location thereof.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the location-based alert server increases or decreases a time interval for requesting the next location of the mobile client by comparing the mobile client with the previous and current distances of the alert zone and determining a moving direction of the mobile client.

10. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the location-based alert server generates a buffer zone corresponding to an arbitrary distance with respect to an alert zone, and sets a time interval for inquiring the next location of the mobile client as an initial location inquiry time interval if the mobile client enters the buffer zone.

11. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in a case where the mobile client enters or leave a alert zone to use the location-based alert service, the location alert service server performs the setting for an additional item containing at least one or more of an alert zone setting for setting an entering/leaving fact to be informed, user management for selecting whether alert services are provided with respect to the mobile client, a location permission request for permitting a location with respect to the mobile client, and a time setting for receiving the provided a location-based alert service.

35. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the location-based alert server increases or decreases a time interval for requesting the next location with respect to a plurality of mobile communication terminals and the plurality of alert regions in a process of a method used by mixing methods for minimizing the number of location inquiries through the moving distance ratio of the mobile client and the previous and current distances between the mobile client and the certain zone, and through the increase/decrease ratio of areas between the MBR for the current moving location of the mobile client and the MBR up to the location having obtained at the previous time.

36. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in a case where there is a location inquiry request for the mobile client, the location-based alert server provides the location value by retrieving a Home Location Register (HLR) and a Visitor Location Register (VLR) to retrieve what base station the mobile client currently enters, and in a case where the mobile client that becomes an object inquiring a location is a terminal having GPS built therein, the location-based alert server receives location information from a GPS satellite to link with a location processing server for providing the location value of the calculated result.

37. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the location-based alert server minimizes the number of location inquiries with respect to a condition for providing location alert services set by a user through the link with the location alert service server, and performs a process for when the location inquiry request of the mobile client is accomplished.

12. A system for providing a location-based alert service to generate an alert upon monitoring a location of a mobile client relative to an alert zone, comprising:

a client for inputting a location alert generation condition for using the location-based alert service;

a location-based alert server for receiving location information on the mobile client to minimize the number of location inquiries using an increase/decrease ratio of areas between a Minimum Bounding Rectangle (hereinafter, referred to as “

MBR”

) for a current moving location of the mobile client and the MBR up to the location of the mobile client, which has been obtained at a previous time;

a location information DB for receiving and storing the location information on the mobile client from the location-based alert server; and

a location alert service server for receiving and storing the location alert generation condition from the client, and determining whether the mobile client exists in an alert range set by the client by receiving a location data of the mobile client from the location-based alert server to thereby generate an alert.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the location-based alert server increases or decreases a time interval for requesting the next location with respect to a plurality of mobile communication terminals and the plurality of alert zones so as to minimize the number of location inquiries through an increase/decrease ratio of the areas between the MBR for the current moving location of the mobile client and the MBR up to the location having been obtained at the previous time.

14. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the location-based alert server dynamically configures the MBR for the moving location of the mobile client in a certain time range, and dynamically produces the MBR not containing the location before the certain time range but containing the location of the mobile client, which is currently obtained, with respect to the location of the mobile client, which has been obtained after the certain time range.

15. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the location-based alert server dynamically configures and manages the MBR for location information using a binary search tree and a spatial index method.

16. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the location-based alert server increases/decreases a time interval for requesting the next location while modifying/maintaining the previously configured MBR by identifying whether the location of the mobile client, which is obtained at the current time, is located in the previously configured MBR so as to minimize the number of location inquiries.

17. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the location-based alert server calculates an area ratio between the MBR dynamically configured up to the previous moving location of the mobile client and the MBR dynamically configured up to the current moving location thereof.

18. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the location-based alert server increases or decreases a time interval for requesting the next location using a change ratio between the MBRs for the previous and current moving locations of the mobile client, an initial location inquiry time interval, and a coefficient for adjusting a rapid increase/decrease of a time interval of requesting the next location of the mobile client.

19. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the location-based alert server increases or decreases a time interval for requesting the next location with respect to a plurality of mobile communication terminals and the plurality of alert regions in a process of a method used by mixing methods for minimizing the number of location inquiries through the moving distance ratio of the mobile client and the previous and current distances between the mobile client and the certain zone, and through the increase/decrease ratio of areas between the MBR for the current moving location of the mobile client and the MBR up to the location having obtained at the previous time.

20. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein, in a case where there is a location inquiry request for the mobile client, the location-based alert server provides the location value by retrieving a Home Location Register (HLR) and a Visitor Location Register (VLR) to retrieve what base station the mobile client currently enters, and in a case where the mobile client that becomes an object inquiring a location is a terminal having GPS built therein, the location-based alert server receives location information from a GPS satellite to link with a location processing server for providing the location value of the calculated result.

21. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the location-based alert server minimizes the number of location inquiries with respect to a condition for providing location alert services set by a user through the link with the location alert service server, and performs a process for when the location inquiry request of the mobile client is accomplished.

22. A method for providing a location-based alert service, wherein the number of location inquiries is minimized in a case where a mobile client enters an alert zone, comprising the steps of:

(a) calculating a moving distance ratio of the mobile client;

(b) adjusting a location inquiry request time interval by using a current moving distance of the mobile client, lower and upper limit values of the current moving distance, and the moving distance ratio;

(c) adjusting the location inquiry request time interval by using a current and previous distances of the mobile client and the alert zone; and

(d) setting the location inquiry request time interval as an initial location inquiry time interval if the mobile client enters a buffer zone.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, after step (d) further comprising a step of (e) generating an alert if the mobile client enters the alert zone.

24. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein step (b) includes the steps:

(b1) increasing the location inquiry request time interval if the current moving distance of the mobile client is smaller than or equal to the lower limit value;

(b2) decreasing the location inquiry request time interval if the current moving distance of the mobile client is larger than or equal to the upper limit value;

(b3) increasing the location inquiry request time interval if the current moving distance of the mobile client is larger than the lower limit value and smaller than the upper limit value, and the moving distance ratio is smaller than or equal to 1; and

(b4) decreasing the location inquiry request time interval if the current moving distance of the mobile client is larger than the lower limit value and smaller than the upper limit value, and the moving distance ratio is larger than 1.

25. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein step (c) includes the steps:

(c1) decreasing the location inquiry request time interval if the current distance between the mobile client and the alert zone is smaller than or equal to the previous distance; and

(c2) increasing the location inquiry request time interval if the current distance between the mobile client and the alert zone is larger than the previous distance.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein, if the current distance between the mobile client and the alert zone is smaller than or equal to the previous distance in step (c1), the location inquiry request time interval is decreased by determining that the moving direction of the mobile client proceeds to the alert zone.

27. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein, if the current distance between the mobile client and the alert zone is larger than the previous distance in step (c2), the location inquiry request time interval is increased by determining that the moving direction of the mobile client withdraws from the alert zone.

38. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the moving distance ratio is an index indicating how far the mobile client currently moves as compared with the previous moving distance in step (a).

28. A method for providing a location-based alert service, wherein the number of location inquiries is minimized in a case where a mobile client leaves from an alert zone to an external zone, comprising the steps of:

(a) calculating a moving distance ratio of the mobile client;

(b) adjusting a location inquiry request time interval by using a current moving distance of the mobile client, lower and upper limit values of the current moving distance, and the moving distance ratio;

(c) adjusting the location inquiry request time interval using the current and previous distances of the mobile client and the alert zone; and

(d) setting the location inquiry request time interval as an initial location inquiry time interval if the mobile client enters a buffer zone.

29. The method as claimed in claim 28, after step (d) further comprising a step of (e) generating an alert if the mobile client enters the alert zone.

30. The method as claimed in claim 28, wherein the moving distance ratio is an index indicating how far the mobile client currently moves as compared with the previous moving distance in step (a).

31. The method as claimed in claim 28, wherein step (b) includes the steps of:

(b1) increasing the location inquiry request time interval if the current moving distance of the mobile client is smaller than or equal to the lower limit value;

(b2) decreasing the location inquiry request time interval if the current moving distance of the mobile client is larger than or equal to the upper limit value;

(b3) increasing the location inquiry request time interval if the current moving distance of the mobile client is larger than the lower limit value and smaller than the upper limit value, and the moving distance ratio is smaller than or equal to 1; and

(b4) decreasing the location inquiry request time interval if the current moving distance of the mobile client is larger than the lower limit value and smaller than the upper limit value, and the moving distance ratio is larger than 1.

32. The method as claimed in claim 28, wherein step (c) includes the steps:

(c1) increasing the location inquiry request time interval if the current distance between the mobile client and the alert zone is smaller than or equal to the previous distance; and

(c2) decreasing the location inquiry request time interval if the current distance between the mobile client and the alert zone is larger than the previous distance.

33. The method as claimed in claim 32, wherein, if the current distance between the mobile client and the alert zone is smaller than or equal to the previous distance in step (c1), the location inquiry request time interval is increased by determining that the moving direction of the mobile client is a center direction of the alert zone.

34. The method as claimed in claim 32, wherein, if the current distance between the mobile client and the alert zone is larger than the previous distance in step (c2), the location inquiry request time interval is decreased by determining that the moving direction of the mobile client is a direction leaving the alert zone.