MESSAGE SUBSCRIPTION, GENERATION, AND DELIVERY WITH DYNAMIC ZONES

• US 20130130683A1
• Filed: 11/21/2011
• Published: 05/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Richard Krukar
• Original Assignee: Richard Krukar
• Inventors: Krukar, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 9,002,395 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/022 with dynamic range variability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• 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 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data

Abstract

Text, voice, and video messaging techniques and social networks are enhanced with geolocation and permissions information. Basic messaging has a publisher publishing a message and subscribers receiving the message. Permissions can limit the publisher to publishing only into certain geographic zones. Recipients within a zone receive the message and other people or devices do not. Recipients can choose to subscribe to additional geographic zones to thereby receive messages directed into that zone. Publisher and subscriber zones do not need to cover the same geographic areas. Zones can be predefined or can be dynamically created, perhaps on a per message basis.

Claims

1. A messaging system that communicates with a plurality of location aware personal communications devices each carried by a person, the messaging system comprising:

a database comprising a plurality of zone specifications and a plurality of device records;

a device registration module wherein the location aware personal communications devices each automatically supply device identification information and location information to the device registration module and wherein the device identification information is stored in the device records to thereby automatically register the location aware personal communications devices with the messaging system;

a message reception module wherein the messaging system accepts an input message from a publisher, wherein the input message comprises a payload and publication zone data specifying at least one publication zone and wherein every publication zone is a geographic area;

a message targeting module that selects a plurality of recipient devices from the device records wherein the recipient devices are located inside of the at least one publication zone; and

a message publication module that sends a published message comprising the payload to the recipient devices to thereby pass the payload to a plurality of human recipients wherein each human recipient is carrying at least one of the recipient devices.

2. The messaging system of claim 1 wherein the publisher uses one of the location aware personal communications devices to send the input message to the messaging system.

3. The messaging system of claim 1 wherein the database comprises permission specifications wherein the publisher is restricted to directing messages only to at least one permitted zone and wherein the at least one publication zone intersects the at least one permitted zone.

4. The messaging system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of subscriber specifications wherein a plurality of subscribers subscribe to a plurality of subscription zones, wherein each subscription zone is also a geographic zone and wherein the published message is also sent to subscribers subscribing to subscription zones intersecting the at least one publication zone.

5. The messaging system of claim 1 further comprising subscriber specifications wherein each one of a plurality of subscribers is associated with at least one of the location aware personal communications devices.

6. The messaging system of claim 1 further comprising subscriber specifications wherein each one of a plurality of subscribers is associated with at least one device configured to receive messages from the messaging system.

7. The messaging system of claim 1 further comprising a broadcasting subsystem that broadcasts a broadcast message to a plurality of broadcast capable devices wherein the broadcast capable devices are those of the location aware personal communications devices that can receive broadcasts, wherein the broadcast message comprises the payload and targeting data derived from the publication zone data, and wherein the broadcast capable devices comprise a zone filtering module that filters out broadcast messages based on the targeting data.

8. The messaging system of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of subscriber specifications wherein a plurality of subscribers subscribe to a plurality of subscription zones, wherein each subscription zone is also a geographic zone, wherein the published message is also sent to subscribers subscribing to subscription zones intersecting the at least one publication zone, wherein each one of a plurality of subscribers is associated with at least one of the location aware personal communications devices or with at least one device configured to receive messages from the messaging system;

a broadcasting subsystem that broadcasts a broadcast message to a plurality of broadcast capable devices wherein the broadcast capable devices are those of the location aware personal communications devices that can receive broadcasts, wherein the broadcast message comprises the payload and targeting data derived from the publication zone data, and wherein the broadcast capable devices comprise a zone filtering module that filters out broadcast messages based on the targeting data; and

wherein the publisher uses one of the location aware personal communications devices to send the input message to the messaging system, wherein the database comprises permission specifications, wherein the publisher is restricted to directing messages only to at least one permitted zone and wherein the at least one publication zone intersects the at least one permitted zone;

9. A messaging system that communicates with a plurality of communications devices, the messaging system comprising:

a subscription module wherein a plurality of subscribers submit a plurality of subscription requests to the subscription module to thereby subscribe to a plurality of subscription zones and wherein every subscription zone is a geographic area;

a message reception module wherein the messaging system accepts an input message from a publisher, wherein the input message comprises a payload and publication zone data specifying at least one publication zone and wherein every publication zone is also a geographic area;

a message targeting module that selects a plurality of recipient devices wherein each of the recipient devices is associated with a subscriber subscribing to a subscription zone intersecting the at least one publication zone;

a message publication module that sends a published message comprising the payload to the recipient devices to thereby pass the payload to a plurality of human subscribers.

10. The messaging system of claim 9 further comprising:

a device registration module wherein the communications devices comprise a plurality of location aware personal communications devices, each carried by a person, that automatically supply device identification information and location information to the device registration module to thereby automatically register with the messaging system and wherein the message targeting module also selects as recipient devices those of the location aware personal communications devices located within the at least one publication zone.

11. The messaging system of claim 10 wherein the publisher uses one of the location aware personal communications devices to send the input message to the messaging system.

12. The messaging system of claim 9 further comprising permission specifications wherein the publisher is restricted to directing messages only to at least one permitted zone and wherein the at least one publication zone intersects the at least one permitted zone.

13. The messaging system of claim 9 wherein a plurality of the subscribers is associated with at least one of the location aware personal communications devices.

14. The messaging system of claim 9 wherein each one of a plurality of subscribers is associated with at least one device configured to receive messages from the messaging system.

15. The messaging system of claim 9 further comprising a broadcasting subsystem that broadcasts a broadcast message to a plurality of broadcast capable devices wherein the broadcast capable devices are those of the communications devices that can receive broadcasts, wherein the broadcast message comprises the payload and targeting data derived from the publication zone data, and wherein the broadcast capable devices comprise a zone filtering module that filters out broadcast messages based on the targeting data.

16. A messaging system that broadcasts a broadcast message to a plurality of broadcast capable and location aware personal communications devices each carried by a person, the messaging system comprising:

a message reception module wherein the messaging system accepts an input message from a publisher, wherein the input message comprises a payload and publication zone data specifying at least one publication zone and wherein every publication zone is a geographic area, wherein the broadcast message comprises the payload, and wherein each broadcast capable and location aware personal communications devices comprises a message pruning module that discards the broadcast message unless the location aware personal communications device is located in the at least one publication zone to thereby distribute the payload to a plurality of human recipients located with the at least one publication zone.

17. The messaging system of claim 16 further comprising:

a device registration module wherein a plurality of location aware personal communications devices, each carried by a person, automatically supply device identification information and location information to the device registration module to thereby automatically register with the messaging system;

a message targeting module that selects those of the location aware personal communications devices located within the at least one publication zone as recipient devices; and

a message publication module that sends a published message comprising the payload to the recipient devices to thereby pass the payload to additional human recipients located within the at least one publication zone.

18. The messaging system of claim 16 further comprising permission specifications wherein the publisher is restricted to directing messages only to at least one permitted zone and wherein the at least one publication zone intersects the at least one permitted zone.

19. The messaging system of claim 16 further comprising a plurality of subscriber specifications wherein a plurality of subscribers subscribe to a plurality of subscription zones, wherein each subscription zone is also a geographic zone and wherein a published message is also sent to subscribers subscribing to subscription zones intersecting the at least one publication zone.

20. The messaging system of claim 16 further comprising:

a device registration module wherein a plurality of location aware personal communications devices, each carried by a person, automatically supply device identification information and location information to the device registration module to thereby automatically register with the messaging system;

a message targeting module that selects those of the location aware personal communications devices located within the at least one publication zone as recipient devices;

a message publication module that sends a published message comprising the payload to the recipient devices to thereby pass the payload to additional human recipients located within the at least one publication zone;

permission specifications wherein the publisher is restricted to directing messages only to at least one permitted zone and wherein the at least one publication zone intersects the at least one permitted zone; and

a plurality of subscriber specifications wherein a plurality of subscribers subscribe to a plurality of subscription zones, wherein each subscription zone is also a geographic zone and wherein a published message is also sent to subscribers subscribing to subscription zones intersecting the at least one publication zone.