System and Method for Using Location Information to Execute an Action

• US 20120289251A1
• Filed: 07/23/2012
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Moton, Robert T. Jr., Enzmann, Mark J., Zellner, Samuel N.
• Granted Patent: US 8,825,035 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A system and method is provided for using location information associated with wireless devices. The system includes a wireless device, a location system, and a feature server. The wireless device includes any wireless apparatus having wireless communications capabilities. The location system can generate location information pinpointing the location of the wireless device. The feature server can use the location information to determine whether to execute an action in accordance with subscriber rules. A large number of applications may be implemented to execute the action via a number of communication channels, including without limitation, a wireless communications network, a computer network, and a public switched telephone system, for example.

Claims

1. A method, for affecting a remote machine of a user of a wireless communication service based on location information associated with a wireless communication device of the user, comprising:

determining, by a processor, using the location information, that a location rule has been satisfied, the location information relating to a location of the wireless communication device, the wireless communication device being remote from the remote machine of the user; and

transmitting, by the processor, a signal to change operation of the remote machine of the user of the wireless communication service responsive to determining that the location rule has been satisfied.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the location rule is pre-established by the user of the wireless communication service.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting, by the processor, the signal to change operation of the remote machine of the user of the wireless communication service comprises transmitting, by the processor, the signal to equipment selected from a group of equipment consisting of:

equipment in an office of the user of the wireless communication service; and

equipment in a home of the user of the wireless communication service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting, by the processor, the signal to change operation of the remote machine of the user of the wireless communication service comprises transmitting, by the processor, the signal, according to a preference pre-established by the user, by way of at least one channel selected from a group of channels consisting of:

a cellular communication network; and

a global computer network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting, by the processor, the signal to change operation of the remote machine of the user of the wireless communication service comprises transmitting, by the processor, the signal to a computer network controlling the remote machine.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein transmitting, by the processor, the signal to the computer network comprises transmitting, by the processor, the signal to a local area network.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein transmitting, by the processor, the signal to the computer network comprises transmitting, by the processor, the signal to a global computer network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

determining, by the processor, that the location rule has been satisfied comprises determining, by the processor being a part of the wireless communication device, that the location rule has been satisfied; and

transmitting, by the processor, the signal to change operation of the remote machine comprises transmitting, by the processor of the wireless communication device, the signal to change operation of the remote machine.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

determining, by the processor, that the location rule has been satisfied comprises determining, by the processor being a part of a feature server, that the location rule has been satisfied; and

transmitting, by the processor, the signal to change operation of the remote machine comprises transmitting, by the processor of the feature server, the signal to change operation of the remote machine.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

transmitting, by the processor, the signal to change operation of the remote machine of the user of the wireless communication service comprises transmitting, by the processor, the signal to equipment selected from a group of equipment consisting of;

equipment in an office of the user of the wireless communication service; and

equipment in a home of the user of the wireless communication service;

determining, by the processor, that the location rule has been satisfied comprises determining, by the processor being a part of a feature server remote to the wireless communication device and to the equipment selected from the group, that the location rule has been satisfied; and

transmitting, by the processor, the signal to change operation of the equipment selected from the group comprises transmitting, by the processor of the feature server, the signal to change operation of the equipment selected from the group.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the location information associated with the wireless communication device of the user comprises an altitude of the wireless communication device; and

determining, by the processor, that the location rule has been satisfied is performed by the processor using the location information comprising the altitude of the wireless communication device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the location rule relates to an estimated time of arrival of the wireless communication device at a destination; and

determining, by the processor, that the location rule has been satisfied comprises determining, by the processor, that the location rule has been satisfied based in part on the estimated time of arrival of the wireless communication device at the destination.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the location rule relates to the estimated time of arrival of the wireless communication device at the destination being selected from a group of destinations consisting of;

an office of the user; and

a home of the user; and

determining, by the processor, that the location rule has been satisfied comprises determining, by the processor, that the location rule has been satisfied based in part on the estimated time of arrival of the wireless communication device at the destination selected from the group.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a group of operations consisting of:

generating, by the processor, at a predetermined time, the location information associated with the wireless communication device of the user;

receiving, by the processor, the location information associated with the wireless communication device of the user; and

monitoring, by the processor, the location information associated with the wireless communication device of the user.

15. A system, for affecting a remote machine of a user of a wireless communication service based on location information associated with a wireless communication device of the user, comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

determining, using the location information, that a location rule has been satisfied, the location information relating to a location of the wireless communication device, the wireless communication device being remote from the remote machine of the user; and

transmitting a signal to change operation of the remote machine of the user of the wireless communication service responsive to determining that the location rule has been satisfied.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine that the location rule has been satisfied, cause the processor to determine that the location rule has been satisfied wherein the location rule is pre-established by the user of the wireless communication service.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine that the location rule has been satisfied, cause the processor to determine that the location rule has been satisfied wherein the location rule relates to an estimated time of arrival of the wireless communication device at a destination; and

the instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine that the location rule has been satisfied, cause the processor to determine that the location rule has been satisfied based in part on the estimated time of arrival of the wireless communication device at the destination.

18. A tangible computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

determining, using the location information, that a location rule has been satisfied, the location information relating to a location of the wireless communication device of a user of a wireless communication service, the wireless device being remote from a remote machine of the user; and

transmitting a signal to change operation of the remote machine of the user of the wireless communication service responsive to determining that the location rule has been satisfied.

19. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine that the location rule has been satisfied, cause the processor to determine that the location rule has been satisfied wherein the location rule is pre-established by the user of the wireless communication service.

20. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein:

the instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine that the location rule has been satisfied, cause the processor to determine that the location rule has been satisfied wherein the location rule relates to an estimated time of arrival of the wireless communication device at a destination; and

the instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine that the location rule has been satisfied, cause the processor to determine that the location rule has been satisfied based in part on the estimated time of arrival of the wireless communication device at the destination.