LOCATION-BASED PROXIMITY NOTIFICATION

• US 20130150088A1
• Filed: 12/09/2011
• Published: 06/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: MOSHREFI, Afshin, GHARACHORLOO, Nader, XIAO, Hong, NASIR, Azim
• Granted Patent: US 8,849,253 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• 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 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

A user device may receive selection of a type of a location-based proximity notification, and may receive a device parameter, a message parameter, and a location parameter for the selected notification type. The user device may detect that the user device is proximate to a location defined by the location parameter, and may provide a proximity notification message, defined by the message parameter, to a device defined by the device parameter, when the user device is proximate to the location.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a user device, selection of a type of a location-based proximity notification;

receiving, by the user device, a device parameter, a message parameter, and a location parameter for the selected notification type;

detecting, by the user device, that the user device is proximate to a location defined by the location parameter; and

providing, by the user device, a proximity notification message, defined by the message parameter, to a device defined by the device parameter, when the user device is proximate to the location.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a time parameter for the selected notification type;

determining whether a current time is specified by the time parameter; and

providing the proximity notification message to the device when the user device is proximate to the location and when the current time is specified by the time parameter.

3. The method of claim 1, where the selected notification type includes one or more of:

a text message,

a call to a landline phone,

a call to a mobile device,

an email message,

a message provided to a television,

a message provided to a gaming device, or

a post to a social network web site.

4. The method of claim 1, where the message parameter includes one or more of:

a message in a textual format,

a message in an audio format, or

a message in a video format.

5. The method of claim 1, where the device parameter specifies one or more of:

a mobile communication device,

a landline phone,

a set-top box,

a television,

a gaming device, or

a server device providing a social network web site.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the device parameter, the message parameter, and the location parameter for the selected notification type; and

providing the device parameter, the message parameter, and the location parameter to a server device.

7. A user device, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor to;

receive selection of a type of a location-based proximity notification,

receive a device parameter, a message parameter, and a location parameter for the selected notification type,

determine global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the user device,

determine, based on the GPS coordinates, whether the user device is proximate to a location defined by the location parameter, and

provide a proximity notification message, defined by the message parameter, to a device defined by the device parameter, when the user device is proximate to the location.

8. The user device of claim 7, where the processor is further to:

receiving a time parameter for the selected notification type,

determine whether a current time is specified by the time parameter, and

provide the proximity notification message to the device when the user device is proximate to the location and when the current time is specified by the time parameter.

9. The user device of claim 7, where the selected notification type includes one or more of:

a text message,

a call to a landline phone,

a call to a mobile device,

an email message,

a message provided to a television,

a message provided to a gaming device, or

a post to a social network web site.

10. The user device of claim 7, where the message parameter includes one or more of:

a message in a textual format,

a message in an audio format, or

a message in a video format.

11. The user device of claim 7, where the device parameter specifies one or more of:

a mobile communication device,

a landline phone,

a set-top box,

a television,

a gaming device, or

a server device providing a social network web site.

12. The user device of claim 7, where the processor is further to:

store the device parameter, the message parameter, the time parameter, and the location parameter in the memory, and

provide the device parameter, the message parameter, the time parameter, and the location parameter to a server device.

13. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a server device and from a user device, a device parameter, a message parameter, a time parameter, and a location parameter associated with a location-based proximity notification;

determining, by the server device, whether the user device is proximate to a location defined by the location parameter;

determining, by the server device, whether the time parameter includes a time when the user device is proximate to the location defined by the location parameter; and

providing, by the server device, a proximity notification message, defined by the message parameter, to a device defined by the device parameter, when the user device is proximate to the location and when the time parameter includes a time when the user device is proximate to the location.

14. The method of claim 13, where the message includes one or more of:

a text message,

a call to a landline phone,

a call to a mobile device,

an email message,

a message provided to a television,

a message provided to a gaming device, or

a post to a social network web site.

15. The method of claim 13, where the message parameter includes one or more of:

a message in a textual format,

a message in an audio format, or

a message in a video format.

16. The method of claim 13, where the device parameter specifies one or more of:

a mobile communication device,

a landline phone,

a set-top box,

a television,

a gaming device, or

a server device providing a social network web site.

17. A server device, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor to;

receive, from a user device, a device parameter, a message parameter, a time parameter, and a location parameter associated with a location-based proximity notification,

receive global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the user device,

determine, based on the GPS coordinates, whether the user device is proximate to a location defined by the location parameter,

determine whether the time parameter includes a time when the user device is proximate to the location defined by the location parameter, and

provide a proximity notification message, defined by the message parameter, to a device defined by the device parameter, when the user device is proximate to the location and when the time parameter includes a time when the user device is proximate to the location.

18. The server device of claim 17, where the message includes one or more of:

a text message,

a call to a landline phone,

a call to a mobile device,

an email message,

a message provided to a television,

a message provided to a gaming device, or

a post to a social network web site.

19. The server device of claim 17, where the message parameter includes one or more

a message in a textual format,

a message in an audio format, or

a message in a video format.

20. The server device of claim 17, where the device parameter specifies one or more of:

a mobile communication device,

a landline phone,

a set-top box,

a television,

a gaming device, or

a server device providing a social network web site.