NOTIFICATIONS BASED ON DEVICE PRESENCE

• US 20120077493A1
• Filed: 09/29/2010
• Published: 03/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Robbins, William, Flynn, Judson, Wohlert, Randolph
• Granted Patent: US 8,428,616 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/06 De-registration or detaching
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

The disclosed subject matter relates to an architecture that can facilitate and/or transmit notifications based upon device presence techniques in connection with a wireless communications network. For example, when certain mobile devices register with a particular network entity (e.g., a femtocell) that services a particular target location (e.g., place of residence), then such registration can be leveraged to indicate presence at the target location. Accordingly, notifications can be delivered to custodian devices that indicate the presence information if certain predetermined conditions or criteria are satisfied.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates notifications based upon device presence techniques in connection with a wireless communications network, comprising:

a presence component configured to receive and store presence information characterized by network registration of a subservient mobile device to a network entity that services a target location; and

a notification component in a computer-readable storage medium configured to facilitate transmission of a notification to at least one custodian device if the presence information satisfies a set of predetermined conditions.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the presence information does not include global positioning satellite (GPS) data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the network entity is a femtocell.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the network entity is a macro cell or a base station included therein.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the notification component is configured to facilitate transmission of the notification in real time as the set of predetermined conditions is determined to be satisfied.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the notification is transmitted by way of short message service (SMS).

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the notification is configured to provide an indication that a user of the subservient mobile device has arrived at the target location based upon network registration of the subservient mobile device to a femtocell servicing the target location.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the notification is configured to provide an indication that a user of the subservient mobile device has departed from the target location based upon at least one of (1) network registration of the subservient mobile device to a macro cell or base station or (2) network de-registration of the subservient mobile device from a femtocell servicing the target location.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of predetermined conditions relate to at least one of arrival or absence of the subservient mobile device at the target location;

arrival or absence of the subservient mobile device at the target location (1) by a certain time, (2) within a certain period of time, or (3) in connection with a state of the target location;

departure or lack of departure of the subservient mobile device from the target location;

or departure or lack of departure of the subservient mobile device from the target location (4) by a certain time, (5) within a certain period of time, or (6) in connection with a state of the target location.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of predetermined conditions is configurable based upon input from at least one of a user or an authorized user of the at least one mobile device, a user or an authorized user of the subservient mobile device, a subscriber to femtocell service at the target location, or an agent of the wireless communications network.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the notification component is further configured in accordance with at least one of the following:

to export or import all or a portion of the set of condition to or from a record associated with a second subservient device, or to or from a disparate account or wireless communications service provision;

or

to facilitate download of all or a portion of stored presence information.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising an intelligence component configured to intelligently determine or infer at least one predetermined condition included in the set of predetermined conditions.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein all or a portion thereof is included in or operatively coupled to a core network of the wireless communication network.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein all or a portion thereof is included in or operatively coupled to a femtocell associated with the target location.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein all or a portion thereof is included in or operatively coupled to the subservient mobile device.

16. A method for creating notifications in a wireless communications network based upon device presence information, comprising:

electronically receiving presence information based upon registration to a network entity servicing a target location by a subservient mobile device;

storing the presence information to a computer-readable storage medium; and

generating a presence notification to at least one custodian device if the presence information satisfies a set of predetermined criteria.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising at least one of the following:

receiving presence information as a result of the subservient mobile device registering to a femtocell at the target location;

receiving presence information as a result of the subservient mobile device registering to a base station at the target location, or as a result of the subservient mobile device de-registering from the femtocell at the target location;

transmitting the presence notification in real time upon satisfying the set of predetermined criteria;

or

employing short message service (SMS) for transmitting the presence notification.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising at least one of the following:

providing an interface for configuring the set of predetermined criteria;

employing artificial intelligence techniques for inferring the set of predetermined criteria;

exporting all or a portion of the set of predetermined criteria to a record associated with a second subservient device, or to a disparate account or provision associated with the wireless communications network;

importing all or a portion of the set of predetermined criteria from a record associated with a second subservient device, or from a disparate account or provision associated with the wireless communications network;

or

enabling access to all or a portion of stored presence information.

19. A system for creating notifications in a wireless communications network based upon device presence data, comprising:

means for receiving presence information characterized by registration to a network entity servicing a target location by a subservient mobile device;

means for storing the presence information to a computer-readable storage medium; and

means for propagating a presence notification to at least one custodian device in the event the presence information satisfies at least one predetermined criterion.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising at least one of the following:

means for configuring the set of predetermined criteria;

means for exporting all or a portion of the set of predetermined criteria to a disparate account or provision associated with the wireless communications network;

means for importing all or a portion of the at least one predetermined criterion from a disparate account or provision associated with the wireless communications network;

or

means for accessing all or a portion of stored presence information.