Method and System for Creating and Using a Location Safety Indicator

• US 20080146250A1
• Filed: 12/15/2006
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Aaron, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US11/611,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20080146250A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5683 Storage of data provided by user terminals, i.e. reverse caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

Provided are exemplary embodiments including a method and system for electronically conveying information regarding a geographic location. While present at a geographic position, a user may want to disseminate information concerning an attribute of the location. The user may determine the geographic position with a wireless communication device and then create information on the wireless communication device describing the attribute of the geographic position. With the wireless communication device, the user electronically associates the information with the geographic position. The user then uploads the associated information from the wireless communication device to a server. A second user may then query the server about the geographic location and receive the data associated with that geographic location uploaded by other users.

Claims

1. A method for electronically conveying information concerning a geographic position by a first user, comprising:

determining a geographic position of a location with a wireless communication device while present at the geographic position;

receiving information on the wireless communication device via a user interface describing an attribute concerning the geographic position;

electronically associating the information with the geographic position using the wireless communication device; and

uploading the associated information from the wireless communication device to a server within a network for dissemination.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication device uses at least one of triangulation and a Global Positioning System to determine the geographic position.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the method includes awarding the first user with a first credit for electronically associating and uploading the information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes distributing the associated information to a second user in response to a request and in response to the satisfaction of a set of logic rules, wherein the logic rules limit the associated information delivered to the second user.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the method includes awarding the first user with a second credit based on the downloading of the associated information by the second user.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein if the distributed associated information about the location is ambiguous, resolving the ambiguity by undertaking one of presenting the user with a list of possible locations, presenting a composite of all the associated information concerning a location and displaying multiple presentations of any available associated information concerning a location.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein distributing the associated information includes presenting the second user with a sensory indicator reflecting the nature of the associated information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the sensory indicator is a progress bar displayed on a user interface of the wireless communication device

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the sensory indicator is a sound.

10. A central server within a network comprising:

a network interface; and

a processor that sends and receives associated geographic data via the network interface, the processor receives the associated geographic data from a first communication device and sends the associated geographic data to a second communication device upon a query by the second communication device, wherein the associated geographic data includes a geographic position that has been associated with information describing the geographic position by the first communication device.

11. The central server of claim 10, wherein the geographic position was determined by at least one of triangulation and a global positioning system.

12. The central server of claim 10, wherein the information describes an attribute concerning the geographic position from a menu of tag options.

13. The central server of claim 10, wherein the information describes an attribute concerning the geographic position in free text form.

14. The central server of claim 13, wherein the associated information is uploaded to the central server in exchange for a credit to an account belonging to a user of the first mobile communication device.

15. The central server of claim 12, wherein the central server sends the associated information in response to the request by the second communication device after satisfying a set of logic rules limiting the associated information requested.

16. The central server of claim 15, wherein the associated geographical information changes the operation of a sensory indicator so as to reflect the urgency of the associated geographical information.

17. The central server of claim 10 wherein the central server is in communication with a geographical information system which contains cartographical data.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions to determine the geographic position include the using one of triangulation and a Global Positioning System to determine that geographic position.

18. A computer readable medium within a mobile communication device containing instructions to:

determine a geographic position of a location using a wireless communication device while present at the location;

receive information via a user interface describing an attribute concerning the geographic position with the wireless communication device;

electronically associate the information with the geographic location by the wireless communication device; and

upload the associated information from the wireless communication device to a server within a network.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions include distributing the associated information to a second user in response to a request and in response to the satisfaction of a set of logic rules.