Methods for Sending Location-Based Data

• US 20090093261A1
• Filed: 10/03/2008
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Plainsight Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ZOS Communications LLC
• Inventors: Ziskind, Russell, Field, Alan, Ziskind, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 8,280,406 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3626 Details of the output of route guidance instructions traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A location-based messaging system and its methods of operation disclosed, including methods for sending geographic location information for a target address from a computing device to a receiving device that will enable the receiving device to display a map and/or directions from a geographic location of the receiving device to the geographic location of the target address. Methods for processing and distributing location-based data, methods for receiving and responding to location-based data, and methods for virally distributing location-based applications are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for sending a request containing a target street address from a sending device to an application server to cause a set of geographic coordinates for the target street address to be transferred to a receiving device, comprising the steps of:

opening a user interface window on the sending device for receiving at least the target street address and a unique identifier for the receiving device;

receiving the target street address within a first field of the window and the unique identifier within a second field of the window;

creating the request from at least the first field and the second field; and

processing a command to send the request from the sending device to the application server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving includes the step of receiving a manually input target street address into the first field.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving includes the step of automatically inserting the target street address from a web page displayed on the sending device into the first field.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of receiving includes the step of receiving a manually input identifier of a user of the sending device within a third field of the window.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of receiving includes the step of receiving a manually input subject for the request within a fourth field of the window.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of receiving includes the step of receiving a manually input message to a user of the receiving device within a fifth field of the window.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of automatically inserting includes the steps of:

recognizing one or more lines of text representing the target street address in the web page highlighted by a user of the sending device;

determining if the lines of text represent a valid address; and

copying the valid address from the web page and inserting the valid address as the target street address into the first field.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of automatically inserting includes the steps of:

recognizing one or more lines of text in the web page representing a valid street address;

associating the valid street address on the web page with a link to the window;

capturing the valid street address when the link is activated and inserting the valid street address as the target street address into the first field.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of capturing includes capturing an IP address associated with the sending device when the link is activated and including the IP address in the request.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of capturing includes capturing a URL associated with the web page when the link is activated and including the URL in the request.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of capturing includes capturing a URL associated with the web page when the link is activated and including the URL in the request.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending device is a computer and the receiving device is a location aware device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending device and the receiving device are location aware devices.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of determining a geographic location of the sending device to use in place of the target street address.

15. A method for sending a request containing a target street address from a sending device to an application server to cause a set of geographic coordinates for the target street address to be transferred to a receiving device, comprising the steps of:

recognizing one or more lines of text representing the target street address in a web page displayed on the sending device;

determining if the lines of text represent a valid address;

opening a user interface window on the sending device for receiving the valid address and a unique identifier for the receiving device;

receiving the valid address from the web page within a first field of the window;

receiving the unique identifier within a second field of the window;

creating the request from at least the first field and the second field; and

processing a command to send the request from the sending device to the application server.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein in the step of recognizing includes detecting the one or more lines of text when highlighted by a user of the sending device.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of receiving a manually input identifier of a user of the sending device within a third field of the window.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of receiving a manually input subject for the request within a fourth field of the window.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of receiving a manually input message to a user of the receiving device within a fifth field of the window.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of capturing an IP address associated with the sending device and including the IP address in the request.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of capturing a URL associated with the web page and including the URL in the request.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the sending device is a computer and the receiving device is a location aware device.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the sending device and the receiving device are location aware devices.

24. A method for sending a request containing a target street address from a sending device to an application server to cause a set of geographic coordinates for the target street address to be transferred to a receiving device, comprising the steps of:

determining if one or more lines of text within a web page displayed on the sending device represent a valid street address;

associating the valid street address on the web page with a link to the window;

capturing the valid street address when the link is activated;

opening a user interface window on the sending device for receiving at least the target street address and a unique identifier for the receiving device;

receiving the target street address within a first field of the window and the unique identifier within a second field of the window;

creating the request from at least the first field and the second field; and

processing a command to send the request from the sending device to the application server.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of receiving a manually input identifier of a user of the sending device within a third field of the window.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of receiving a manually input subject for the request within a fourth field of the window.

27. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of receiving a manually input message to a user of the receiving device within a fifth field of the window.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of capturing includes capturing an IP address associated with the sending device and including the IP address in the request.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of capturing includes capturing a URL associated with the web page and including the URL in the request.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein the sending device is a computer and the receiving device is a location aware device.

31. The method of claim 24, wherein the sending device and the receiving device are location aware devices.