AREA WATCHER FOR WIRELESS NETWORK

• US 20140364145A1
• Filed: 08/27/2014
• Published: 12/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Tapia, Mario G., Cousins, Will, HINES, GORDON
• Granted Patent: US 9,602,968 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

Dynamic and current information is provided regarding a wireless device'"'"'s entry into or exit from a geographically defined “watched” area. An area watcher application monitors preconfigured wireless devices entry/exit into preconfigured watched areas. The watched areas may watch for any/all subscribers, or for select, preconfigured subscribers listed in an appropriate table or database. Provision of location information is triggered by a wireless subscriber'"'"'s entry, exit or changing between designated ‘watched’ areas or locations. Continuous polling may be used, or the mobile device itself or network element may be triggered to push its own location upon notification of its entry into or out of watched areas from an area watcher. A third party may be notified when a wireless user enters an area surrounding their retail store, and be sent a message such as “sale inside”, or “Your rentals are overdue”, on their wireless device.

Claims

1. A wireless device executing an area watcher, the area watcher being configure to:

receive a request to watch a location of the wireless device relative to a geographic area defined by a boundary;

provide an indication that the wireless device has at least one of entered and exited the geographic area, wherein the indication omits location information characterizing a location of the given wireless device; and

receive a message in response to providing the indication.

2. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the geographic area is defined by a zip code.

3. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the geographic area is defined by boundaries of the reach of a particular cell site.

4. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the geographic area is defined by proximity to a particular retail establishment.

5. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the area watcher is further configured to provide a request to associate the wireless device with the geographic area.

6. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the message characterizes a retail offer.

7. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the wireless device includes a privacy mechanism configured to prevent the wireless device from transmitting the location information.

8. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the area watcher is configured to detect the privacy mechanism.

19. The medium of claim 1, wherein the geographic area is defined by proximity to a particular retail establishment.

9. A method comprising:

receiving a boundary of a geographic area to be watched;

detecting, at a wireless device, at least one of entry and exit of the geographic area; and

providing, from the wireless device, an indication to a network node that the wireless device has at least one of entered and exited the geographic area wherein the indication omits location information for the given wireless device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving a message that is provided in response to the network node receiving the indication.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the message relates to unsolicited retail information.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the detecting is based on a position for the wireless device received from a global positioning system.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising blocking, at the wireless device, a transmission of the location information.

14. A non-transitory machine readable medium having machine readable instructions, the machine readable instructions being configured to:

monitor a location of a wireless device relative to a geographic area;

determine that the wireless device has at least one of entered and exited the geographic area;

detect execution of a privacy mechanism that is configured to prevent location information for the wireless device from being transmitted to the network node; and

transmit presence information of the wireless device to a network node.

15. The medium of claim 14, wherein machine readable instructions are further configured to provide a request to associate the wireless device with the geographic area.

16. The medium of claim 14, wherein the machine readable instructions are further configured to receive a boundary for the geographic area.

17. The medium of claim 14, wherein the monitoring comprises receiving a poll request for location information for the wireless device.

18. The medium of claim 14, wherein the geographic area is defined by a zip code.

20. The medium of claim 14, wherein the machine readable instructions are further configured to send a request to a global positioning system for the location information for the wireless device.