Method and apparatus for distance-based notification in a two-way wireless communication system

• US 6,351,221 B1
• Filed: 06/15/1999
• Issued: 02/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Dwight Randall, Phillips, W Garland
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHIMIZU, MATSUICHIRO
• Application Number:
  US09/334,006
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.49, 340/572, 340/539, 340/825.31, 379/38
• US Class Current: 340/8.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/1083 Pager locating systems
• 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 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• 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

Abstract

A group selected from a plurality of portable subscriber units (122) is defined (402), and a plurality of locations corresponding to members of the group are identified (404) by a controller (112) in cooperation with a base station and the group members. The controller determines (406) from the plurality of locations at least one distance between selected ones of the members, and sends (408) a notification when the at least one distance satisfies a predetermined set of rules.

Claims

1. A method of distance-based notification in a two-way wireless communication system serving a plurality of portable subscriber units which send and receive messages to and from a controller through a base station, the method comprising in the controller the steps of:

defining a group selected from said plurality of portable subscriber units, wherein said defining step comprises the step of defining a group comprising members A, B, and C, selected from said plurality of portable subscriber units;

cooperating with said base station and said group to identify a plurality of locations corresponding to members of said group;

determining from said plurality of locations a plurality of distances between selected ones of said members, wherein said determining step comprises the step of determining a first distance between members A and B, and a second distance between members B and C; and

sending a notification when said plurality of distances satisfies a predetermined set of rules concerning said first distance and said second distance of said plurality of distances, wherein said sending step comprises the step of sending said notification to at least one of members A, B, and C in response to satisfying a rule dependent upon said first and second distances.

2. The method of claim 1

wherein said defining step comprises the step of defining a further group of two members selected from said plurality of portable subscriber units, and

wherein said determining step comprises the step of determining said first distance as a distance between said two members, and

wherein said sending step comprises the step of sending said notification to at least one of said two members in response to at least one of (a) said first distance becoming less than a first predetermined threshold and (b) said first distance becoming greater than a second predetermined threshold.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein said defining step comprises the step of defining a further two members selected from said plurality of portable subscriber units, and

wherein said determining step comprises the step of determining said first distance as a distance between said two members, and

wherein said sending step comprises the step of sending said notification to an entity different from said two members in response to at least one of (a) said first distance becoming less than a first predetermined threshold and (b) said first distance becoming greater than a second predetermined threshold.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein said sending step comprises the step of sending said notification to one of said plurality of said members being more than a first predetermined distance from all others of said plurality of said members, when said all others of said plurality of said members are less than a second predetermined distance from one another.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of

negating said sending step when at least one of said plurality of locations satisfies a predetermined set of location rules.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining a mean center point of said plurality of locations;

determining a plurality of distances between said mean center point and said plurality of locations; and

sending the notification when said plurality of distances satisfies a predetermined collection of rules.

7. A controller for distance-based notification in a two-way wireless communication system serving a plurality of portable subscriber units, the controller comprising:

a processing system for controlling said two-way wireless communication system; and

a base station interface coupled to said processing system for communicating with a base station,

wherein said processing system is programmed to;

define a group comprising members A, B, and C, selected from said plurality of portable subscriber units;

cooperate with said base station and said group to identify a plurality of locations corresponding to members of said group;

determine from said plurality of locations a plurality of distances between selected ones of said members, said plurality of distances including a first distance between members A and B, and a second distance between members B and C; and

send a notification to at least one of members A, B, and C when said plurality of distances satisfies a predetermined set of rules concerning said first distance and said second distance of said plurality of distances.

8. The controller of claim 7, wherein said processing system is further programmed to:

define a further group of two members selected from said plurality of portable subscriber units;

determine said first distance as a distance between said two members; and

cooperate with said base station to send said notification to at least one of said two members in response to at least one of (a) said first distance becoming less than a first predetermined threshold and (b) said first distance becoming greater than a second predetermined threshold.

9. The controller of claim 7, wherein said processing system is further programmed to:

define a further two members selected from said plurality of portable subscriber units;

determine said first distance as a distance between said two members; and

send said notification to an entity different from said two members in response to at least one of (a) said first distance becoming less than a first predetermined threshold and (b) said second distance becoming greater than a second predetermined threshold.

10. The controller of claim 7, wherein said processing system is further programmed to:

send said notification to one of said plurality of said members being more than a first predetermined distance from all others of said plurality of said members, when said all others of said plurality of said members are less than a second predetermined distance from one another.

11. The controller of claim 7, wherein said processing system is further programmed to:

negate sending said notification when at least one of said plurality of locations satisfies a predetermined set of location rules.

12. The controller of claim 7, wherein said processing system is further programmed to:

determine a mean center point of said plurality of locations;

determine a plurality of distances between said mean center point and said plurality of locations; and

send the notification when said plurality of distances satisfies a predetermined collection of rules.