AREA WATCHER FOR WIRELESS NETWORK

• US 20140370916A1
• Filed: 08/27/2014
• Published: 12/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: HINES, GORDON, TAPIA, MARIO G., COUSINS, WILL
• Application Number:
  US14/470,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20140370916A1
• 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 computing device executing an area watcher, the area watcher being configure to:

provide a request to watch a geographic area defined by a boundary;

provide a request to associate a particular wireless device with the geographic area; and

receive an indication that the particular wireless device has at least one of entered and exited the geographic area.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the area watcher is further configured to provide a request to modify the geographic area defined by another boundary.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the area watcher is configured to receive location information characterizing a location of the particular wireless device.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the area watcher is further configured to receive an indication of a proximity of the particular wireless device relative to the geographic area.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the geographic area comprises a plurality of geographic areas, wherein each of the plurality of geographic areas is defined by a corresponding one of a plurality of boundaries.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the geographic area is defined by a street corner.

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the particular wireless device comprises a set of particular wireless devices that share a common identifier.

8. A method comprising:

associating a given wireless device with a geographic area defined by a boundary;

receiving location information for the given wireless device;

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

output a message in response to the detecting.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving periodic updates to the location information.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising modifying the geographic region.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the location information is based on a position for the given wireless device received from a global positioning system.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising identifying a boundary of the geographic area.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the location information is pushed from the given wireless device.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the geographic area is defined by a street corner.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the given wireless device comprises a set of specific wireless devices that share a common identifier.

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

receive a request to watch a plurality of geographic areas, wherein each geographic area is defined by a corresponding one of a plurality of boundaries;

monitor a location of a wireless device relative to each of the plurality of geographic areas;

determine that the wireless device has entered or exited any of the plurality of geographic areas; and

provide location information for the wireless device in response to the determining, wherein the location information identifies a given one of the plurality of geographic areas.

17. The medium of claim 16, wherein the location information is based on a position for the given wireless device received from a global positioning system.

18. The medium of claim 16, wherein the monitoring comprises receiving a poll request for location information for the wireless device.

19. The medium of claim 16, wherein at least one of the plurality of geographic areas is defined by a street corner.

20. The medium of claim 16, wherein the machine readable instructions are further configured to periodically push the location information of the wireless device independently of the determining.