METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FINDING PEOPLE VIA A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20110130155A1
• Filed: 12/01/2009
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: BROWN, WILLIAM A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,340,688 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• 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

A method, computer readable medium and apparatus for finding at least one person are disclosed. For example, the method receives a request from a subscriber to find at least one person having at least one characteristic predefined by the subscriber, receives a location of the subscriber and finds, via a processor, the at least one person having the at least one characteristic predefined by the subscriber near the location of the subscriber.

Claims

1. A method for finding at least one person, comprising:

receiving a request from a subscriber to find at least one person having at least one characteristic predefined by the subscriber;

receiving a location of the subscriber; and

finding, via a processor, the at least one person having the at least one characteristic predefined by the subscriber near the location of the subscriber.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the location of the subscriber is received via a GPS transmitter on a mobile endpoint device of the subscriber.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the location is received on a periodic basis.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the finding comprises:

identifying one or more different subscribers near the location;

receiving personal information from the one or more different subscribers near the location of the subscriber; and

matching the at least one characteristic predefined by the subscriber with at least one characteristic in the personal information of at least one of the one or more different subscribers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the finding is performed within at least one of:

a predefined range or a predefined location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the finding is performed continuously.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a visual display on a mobile endpoint device of the subscriber of where the at least one person is located relative to the location of the subscriber.

8. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for finding at least one person, comprising:

receiving a request from a subscriber to find at least one person having at least one characteristic predefined by the subscriber;

receiving a location of the subscriber; and

finding the at least one person having the at least one characteristic predefined by the subscriber near the location of the subscriber.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the location of the subscriber is received via a GPS transmitter on a mobile endpoint device of the subscriber.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the location is received on a periodic basis.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the finding comprises:

identifying one or more different subscribers near the location;

receiving personal information from the one or more different subscribers near the location of the subscriber; and

matching the at least one characteristic predefined by the subscriber with at least one characteristic in the personal information of at least one of the one or more different subscribers.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the finding is performed within at least one of:

a predefined range or a predefined location.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the finding is performed continuously.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising:

providing a visual display on a mobile endpoint device of the subscriber of where the at least one person is located relative to the location of the subscriber.

15. An apparatus for finding at least one person, comprising:

means for receiving a request from a subscriber to find at least one person having at least one characteristic predefined by the subscriber;

means for receiving a location of the subscriber; and

means for finding the at least one person having the at least one characteristic predefined by the subscriber near the location of the subscriber.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the location of the subscriber is received via a GPS transmitter on a mobile endpoint device of the subscriber.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the location is received on a periodic basis.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the finding comprises:

means for identifying one or more different subscribers near the location;

means for receiving personal information from the one or more of different subscribers near the location of the subscriber; and

means for matching the at least one characteristic predefined by the subscriber with at least one characteristic in the personal information of at least one of the one or more different subscribers.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the means for finding is performed within at least one of:

a predefined range or a predefined location.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

means for providing a visual display on a mobile endpoint device of the subscriber of where the at least one person is located relative to the location of the subscriber.