TRANSPORTATION ALERT APPLICATION FOR A MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20120092194A1
• Filed: 10/18/2010
• Published: 04/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crucs Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Crucs Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Crucs, Kevin M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,878,702 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/994
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968

Abstract

A system and method for providing notification about approaching transportation. A transportation notification application on a mobile communication device associated with a transportation vehicle is activated. An operator of the transportation vehicle selects a predefined route, having multiple transportation stops to be traversed by the transportation vehicle, from the transportation notification application on the mobile communication device. A current transportation stop of the selected route is then selected, again using the transportation notification application on the mobile communication device. The transportation notification application on the mobile communication device then automatically sends a transportation notification message, in response to the selecting of the current transportation stop, to a plurality of user communication devices of known users of the transportation vehicle who are associated with at least one subsequent transportation stop of the transportation vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for providing notification about approaching transportation, said method comprising:

activating a transportation notification application on a mobile communication device associated with a transportation vehicle that makes multiple transportation stops along predefined routes;

selecting a predefined route, having multiple transportation stops to be traversed by said transportation vehicle, from said transportation notification application on said mobile communication device;

selecting a current transportation stop of said selected predefined route using said transportation notification application on said mobile communication device; and

said transportation notification application on said mobile communication device automatically sending a transportation notification message, in response to said selecting of a current transportation stop, to a plurality of user communication devices of known users of said transportation vehicle associated with at least one subsequent transportation stop of said transportation vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said transportation notification message is sent from said mobile communication device to said plurality of user communication devices via at least one communication network associated with said mobile communication device.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said at least one communication network includes at least one of a cellular telephone network, the internet, and a satellite network.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising a location-based services application running on said mobile communication device automatically communicating a current location of said transportation vehicle to said transportation notification application.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said step of selecting a current transportation stop is performed automatically by said transportation notification application based on said current location.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising programming a new predefined route into said transportation notification application on said mobile communication device.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising deleting a predefined route from said transportation notification application on said mobile communication device.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising modifying a predefined route of said transportation notification application on said mobile communication device.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said transportation notification message is in the form of one of an electronic mail message, an electronic text message, and a voice telephone call.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising a complementary notification application running on at least one of said user communication devices activating a transportation alert ringtone in response to receiving said transportation notification message.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising at least one of said user communication devices activating a user-selected ringtone in response to receiving said transportation notification message, wherein said user-selected ringtone is reserved for receiving said transportation notification message.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one subsequent transportation stop includes a next transportation stop.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said mobile communication device includes a wireless communication device.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of user communication devices includes one of a wireless communication device and a wired communication device.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of user communication devices includes one of a mobile communication device and a non-mobile communication device.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said transportation vehicle includes one of a bus, a car, a truck, a train, a taxi cab, a trolley, and a boat.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising programming new user information associated with a user communication device into said transportation notification application and associating said new user information with one transportation stop of a predefined route on said mobile communication device.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising deleting user information associated with a user communication device from said transportation notification application on said mobile communication device.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein said transportation notification message includes information related to at least one of an estimated arrival time, an arrival at another stop, a delay, a reminder, and a cancellation.

20. A system for providing notification about approaching transportation, said system comprising:

a mobile communication device associated with a transportation vehicle that makes multiple transportation stops along predefined routes;

means for selecting a predefined route, having multiple transportation stops to be traversed by said transportation vehicle, using said mobile communication device;

means for selecting a current transportation stop of said predefined route using said mobile communication device; and

means for automatically sending a transportation notification message from said mobile communication device, in response to selecting a current transportation stop, to a plurality of user communication devices of known users of said transportation vehicle associated with at least one subsequent transportation stop of said transportation vehicle.

21. The system of claim 20 further comprising:

means for automatically acquiring a current location of said transportation vehicle using said mobile communication device; and

means for communicating said current location to said means for selecting a current transportation stop using said mobile communication device, wherein said means for selecting a current transportation stop uses said current location to automatically select a current transportation stop.

22. The system of claim 20 further comprising means for entering a new selectable predefined route into said mobile communication device.

23. The system of claim 20 further comprising means for deleting a predefined route from said mobile communication device.

24. The system of claim 20 further comprising means for modifying a predefined route on said mobile communication device.

25. The system of claim 20 wherein said transportation notification message is in the form of one of an electronic mail message, an electronic text message, and a voice telephone call.

26. The system of claim 20 further comprising means for activating a transportation alert ringtone on at least one of said user communication devices in response to said at least one of said user communication devices receiving said transportation notification message.

27. The system of claim 20 further comprising means for activating a user-selected ringtone on at least one of said user communication devices in response to said at least one of said user communication devices receiving said transportation notification message, wherein said user-selected ringtone is reserved for receiving said transportation notification message.

28. The system of claim 20 wherein said at least one subsequent transportation stop includes a next transportation stop.

29. The system of claim 20 wherein said mobile communication device includes a wireless communication device.

30. The system of claim 20 wherein each of said plurality of user communication devices includes one of a wireless communication device and a wired communication device.

31. The system of claim 20 wherein each of said plurality of user communication devices includes one of a mobile communication device and a non-mobile communication device.

32. The system of claim 20 wherein said transportation vehicle includes one of a bus, a car, a truck, a train, a taxi cab, a trolley, and a boat.

33. The system of claim 20 further comprising means for programming new user information associated with a user communication device into said mobile communication device and associating said new user information with one transportation stop of a predefined route on said mobile communication device.

34. The system of claim 20 further comprising means for deleting user information associated with a user communication device from said mobile communication device.

35. A system for providing notification about approaching transportation, said system comprising:

a GPS receiver installed within a transportation vehicle that makes multiple transportation stops along predefined routes;

a transmitter installed within said transportation vehicle, said transmitter operatively connected to said GPS receiver to receive location information from said GPS receiver and configured to wirelessly transmit said location information; and

a communication system installed, at least partially, at a fixed third party location and configured to wirelessly receive said location information from said transmitter, and further configured to generate and transmit transportation notification messages based on said location information.

36. The system of claim 35 further comprising a plurality of user communication devices of known users of said transportation vehicle associated with at least one transportation stop of said transportation vehicle, each of said plurality of user communication devices configured to receive transportation notification messages.

37. The system of claim 35 wherein said communication system includes at least one of a cellular telephone network, the internet, and a satellite network.

38. The system of claim 35 wherein said transportation notification messages are in the form of at least one of electronic mail messages, electronic text messages, and voice telephone calls.

39. The system of claim 35 wherein said transportation notification messages include information related to at least one of an estimated arrival time, an arrival at another stop, a delay, a reminder, and a cancellation.

40. The system of claim 36 wherein any of said plurality of communication devices may include a mobile device or a non-mobile device.