REAL-TIME EVENT NOTIFICATION

• US 20090033515A1
• Filed: 07/31/2007
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cavanaugh, Craig
• Granted Patent: US 7,898,423 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825.490
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media provide for the real-time notification of user events. According to various embodiments described herein, a user initiates a notification process in which the geographic location of a device associated with the user, as well as any desired activity data, is generated into a real-time notification for another party. The location of the user device is determined upon the initiation of the notification process. Original or pre-programmed messages may be posted on a website or delivered along with the location of the user device to any number of communication devices. The various embodiments provide an efficient manner of updating selected individuals with the location of a user and of providing those individuals with desired information.

Claims

1. A method for providing real-time event notification, comprising:

receiving real-time user event data corresponding to a current activity associated with a user of a user device;

determining a geographic location of the user device from the user event data;

generating a notification comprising the geographic location of the user device; and

providing the notification according to a notification rule.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user event data comprises a device identifier associated with the user device and location data corresponding to the geographic location of the user device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user device comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver that provides the location data.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the location data is determined via cellular signal triangulation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification further comprises activity data corresponding to user-defined information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the activity data corresponds to the geographic location of the user device.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the event data comprises the activity data.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the activity data is received from a user interface associated with the user device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification rule comprises an instruction to provide the notification according to user-defined criteria stored within a user profile.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification rule comprises an instruction to provide the notification via a website.

11. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive real-time user event data corresponding to a current activity associated with a user of a user device;

determine a geographic location of the user device from the user event data;

generate a notification comprising the geographic location of the user device; and

provide the notification according to a notification rule.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the user event data comprises a device identifier associated with the user device and location data corresponding to the geographic location of the user device.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the notification further comprises activity data corresponding to user-defined information.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the notification rule comprises an instruction to provide the notification according to user-defined criteria stored within a user profile.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the notification rule comprises an instruction to provide the notification via a website.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the notification rule comprises an instruction to provide the notification according to a purchased subscription.

17. A system for providing real-time event notification, comprising:

a memory having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for providing real-time event notification; and

a processor functionally coupled to the memory, the processor operative to execute the computer-readable instructions and cause the computer to;

receive real-time user event data corresponding to a current activity associated with a user of a user device,

determine a geographic location of the user device from the user event data,

generate a notification comprising the geographic location of the user device, and

provide the notification according to a notification rule.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the user event data comprises a device identifier associated with the user device and location data corresponding to the geographic location of the user device.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the event data further comprises activity data corresponding to user-defined information, and wherein the notification further comprises an indication of the user activity according to the activity data.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the notification rule comprises an instruction to provide the notification according to user-defined criteria stored within a user profile.