Cellular phone that displays or sends messages upon its arrival at a predetermined location

• US 6,360,101 B1
• Filed: 12/31/1998
• Issued: 03/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Optis Wireless Technology, LLC (Brevet Capital)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Irvin, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thanh Cong
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, LANA N
• Application Number:
  US09/223,904
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456, 455/457, 455/459, 701/208, 701/201, 701/211, 340/995, 340/996, 340/902, 340/904, 340/905, 379/133, 342/457, 370/328, 370/312
• US Class Current: 455/456.6
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

A mobile communication device, such as a cellular telephone, determines its current location and compares the current location to one or more target locations stored in a target location memory. When the current location of the mobile communication terminal is within one of the target locations in memory, the mobile communication terminal annunciates its arrival by generating an audible alarm, or displays or transmits a predetermined arrival message associated with the target location. In one embodiment of the invention, target location data is determined entered manually via a keypad. In another embodiment, the target location data is obtained from a positioning receiver or a server connected to the communications network and loaded into the target location memory.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device capable of displaying and/or sending user-defined arrival messages upon its arrival at a predetermined location, comprising:

a. a memory for storing target location data identifying one or more target locations, and a corresponding arrival message for each of said target locations;

b. a positioning receiver for determining the current location of the mobile communication device;

c. a control unit operatively connected to said positioning receiver and said memory for comparing the current location of the mobile communication device to said target locations stored in said memory;

d. output means responsive to said control unit for outputting an arrival message corresponding to selected target location stored in said memory when the current location matches said selected target location.

2. The mobile communication device according to claim 1 wherein said output means is a display for displaying said arrival message.

3. The mobile communication device according to claim 1 wherein said output means is a speech synthesizer for converting said arrival message to an audible signal.

4. The mobile communication device according to claim 1 wherein said output means is a transmitter for transmitting said arrival message to a remote location.

5. The mobile communication device according to claim 1 wherein said target location data comprises a set of target location coordinates corresponding to said target locations.

6. The mobile communication device according to claim 1 wherein said target location data is obtained from said positioning receiver.

7. The mobile communication device according to claim 1 further including a keypad and wherein said target location data is entered via said keypad.

8. The mobile communication device according to claim 1 further including a transceiver for communicating with a target location server to obtain said target location data.

9. A method for using a mobile communication device to deliver messages upon arrival at a predetermined location, comprising:

a. storing target location data corresponding to one or more predetermined target locations in a target location memory and an associated arrival message for selected target locations;

b. determining the current location of the mobile communication device;

c. comparing said current location of the mobile communication device to said predetermined target locations stored in said target location memory;

d. outputting an arrival message associated with a selected target location when the current location of said mobile communication device matches the selected target location.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein the arrival message is displayed on a display associated with the mobile communication device.

11. The method according to claim 9 wherein the arrival message is converted to an audible message.

12. The method according to claim 9 wherein the arrival message is transmitted to a designated party.

13. The method according to claim 9 further including inputting said target location data into said target location memory.

14. The method according to claim 9 wherein the target location data is input by entering said target location data on a keypad.

15. The method according to claim 9 wherein the target location data is input from a positioning receiver.

16. The method according to claim 9 wherein the target location data is input from a target location server connected to a communications network.

17. A mobile communication device capable of displaying and/or sending messages upon its arrival at a predetermined location, comprising:

a. a wireless transceiver for transmitting signals to and receiving signals from a remote station;

b. a memory for storing target location data identifying one or more target locations;

c. a positioning receiver for determining the current location of the mobile communication device;

d. a control unit operatively connected to said transceiver, said memory, and said positioning receiver for comparing the current location of the mobile communication device to said target locations stored in said memory and performing a predetermined action when the current location matches one of said target locations.

18. The mobile communication device according to claim 17 further including an audible alarm operatively connected to said control unit for generating an audible signal when the current location matches one of said target locations.

19. The mobile communication device according to claim 17 further including a display operatively connected to said control unit for displaying a predetermined arrival message when the current location matches one of said target locations.

20. The mobile communication device according to claim 19 wherein said arrival message is a user-defined message.

21. The mobile communication device according to claim 20 wherein said arrival message is stored in said memory.

22. The mobile communication device according to claim 17 wherein said transceiver transmits a predetermined arrival message to a remote location under direction of said control unit when the current location of said mobile communication device matches one of said target locations.