System and method for automatically generating a third party notification when a traveler is overdue

• US 6,691,029 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2002
• Issued: 02/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hughes, Sarah Blodgett, Hughes, Duane Curtis
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US10/142,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20030212486A1
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• Field of Search: 701/204, 701/206, 701/213, 342/357.09, 342/357.1, 342/357.17, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/456.6
• US Class Current: 701/204
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions

Abstract

A method and system for generating a notification for a third party when a traveler is overdue at one or more waypoints. A traveler or other person specifies waypoints the traveler will pass during a trip. In response to the traveler beginning the trip, a latest arrival time is determined for the first waypoint. If the traveler has not arrived at a waypoint by the determined latest arrival time, a notification is generated for a third party. Conversely, if the traveler reaches the waypoint before the determined latest arrival time, no notification is generated. In either case, if there are remaining waypoints, a latest arrival time is determined for the next waypoint and the process continues.

Claims

1. A system for generating a third party notification when a first party traveler is overdue at one or more waypoints, said system comprising:

means for specifying said one or more waypoints;

means for determining an overdue time for each of said one or more waypoints;

means for determining if said traveler has not arrived at any of said one or more waypoints by a respective overdue time; and

means for notifying an external third party in response to determining that said traveler has not arrived at any of said one or more waypoints by said respective overdue time, wherein said external third party is different from service provider personnel affiliated with a service provider that comprises a computer facility which issues said third party notification.

2. The system as described by claim 1, wherein said means for determining if said traveler has not arrived at any of said one or more waypoints by said respective overdue time comprises processing means within a GPS-enabled cell phone capable of sending an arrival message to a service provider in response to said GPS-enabled cell phone arriving at any of said one or more waypoints.

3. The system as described by claim 1, wherein said means for determining if said traveler has not arrived at any of said one or more waypoints by said respective overdue time further comprises processing means within said service provider for:

a) setting a timer to said respective overdue time for one of said waypoints, b) canceling said timer in response to receiving an arrival message from a GPS-enabled cell phone, and c) in response to not receiving said arrival message before said timer expires, determining said traveler is overdue.

4. The system as described by claim 1, wherein said means for specifying one or more waypoints comprises one of a plurality of mechanisms from among an Internet website that displays a map on which said waypoints are specified and a telephone.

5. The system as described by claim 1, wherein said means for notifying said third party comprises means for placing a call to one or more specified numbers and playing a specified message.

6. The system as described by claim 1, wherein said means for notifying said third party comprises a password-protected website displaying overdue notifications for said traveler.

7. The system as described by claim 6, wherein said password-protected website includes actual arrival times for the waypoints said traveler has reached.

8. The system as described by claim 6, where in said password-protected website includes revised expected times for said waypoints based on actual progress of said traveler.

9. A method for generating a third party notification when a traveler is overdue at one or more waypoints, said method comprising the steps of:

specifying said one or more waypoints;

determining an overdue time for each of said one or more waypoints;

determining if said traveler has not arrived at any of said one or more waypoints by said respective overdue time, said determining including receiving signals at a central computer facility of a service provider from a GPS-enabled device located proximate to the traveler; and

notifying a third party subscriber in response to determining that said traveler has not arrived at a most recent one of said one or more waypoints by said respective overdue time, wherein said third party subscriber has an account with said central computing facility that includes a password for accessing said third party notification.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said step for determining if said traveler has not arrived at any of said one or more waypoints by said respective overdue time further comprises:

receiving an arrival message at a service provider in response to a GPS-enabled cell phone arriving at any of said one or more waypoints;

setting a timer to said respective overdue time for one of said waypoints;

canceling said timer in response to receiving said arrival message from said GPS-enabled cell phone; and

in response to not receiving said arrival message before said timer expires, determining said traveler is overdue.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein:

said step for specifying one or more waypoints includes one of a plurality of methods from among (1) displaying a map on an Internet website and receiving waypoint information and (2) receiving information via a telephone; and

said step for notifying said third party includes one of a plurality of methods from among (1) displaying overdue notifications for said traveler via a password-protected website, such that said third party may access said website to review said overdue notifications and (2) placing a call to one or more specified numbers associated with the third party and playing a specified message.

15. The method as described by claim 11, wherein said step for specifying one or more waypoints comprises receiving information via a telephone.

16. The method as described by claim 11, wherein said step for notifying said third party comprises placing a call to one or more specified numbers and playing a specified message.

17. The method as described by claim 11, wherein said step for notifying said third party comprises displaying overdue notifications for said traveler via a password-protected website.

12. A method for generating a third party notification when a traveler is overdue at one or more waypoints, said method comprising the steps of:

specifying said one or more waypoints;

determining an overdue time for each of said one or more waypoints;

determining if said traveler has not arrived at any of said one or more waypoints by said respective overdue time; and

notifying an external third party in response to determining that said traveler has not arrived at any of said one or more waypoints by said respective overdue time, wherein said external third party is not an internal personnel of a service provider that issues said third party notification.

13. The method as described by claim 12, wherein said step for determining if said traveler has not arrived at any of said one or more waypoints by said respective overdue time comprises:

sending an arrival message to a service provider in response to a GPS-enabled cell phone arriving at any of said one or more waypoints;

setting a timer to said respective overdue time for one of said waypoints;

canceling said timer in response to receiving said arrival message from said GPS-enabled cell phone; and

in response to not receiving said arrival message before said timer expires, determining said traveler is overdue.

14. The method as described by claim 12, wherein said step for specifying one or more waypoints comprises displaying a map on an Internet website and receiving waypoint information.

18. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium; and

computer program code on said computer readable medium for generating a notification for a third party when a traveler is overdue at one or more waypoints, wherein said third party is notified via a mechanism for notification external/remote to a computer system on which said program code is executing, said computer program code further comprising;

computer program code for specifying said one or more waypoints;

computer program code for determining an overdue time for each of said one or more waypoints;

computer program code for determining if said traveler has not arrived at any of said one or more waypoints by said respective overdue time; and

computer program code for notifying said third party in response to determining that said traveler has not arrived at any of said one or more waypoints by said respective overdue time, wherein said program code initiates a remote notification to an external third party.

19. The computer program product as described by claim 18, wherein said computer program code for determining if said traveler has not arrived at any of said one or more waypoints by said respective overdue time comprises:

computer program code for receiving an arrival message at a service provider in response to a GPS-enabled cell phone arriving at any of said one or more waypoints; and

computer program code for setting a timer to said respective overdue time for one of said waypoints;

computer program code for canceling said timer in response to receiving said arrival message from said GPS-enabled cell phone; and

computer program code for, in response to not receiving said arrival message before said timer expires, determining said traveler is overdue.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising program code for displaying overdue notifications for said traveler via a password-protected website that is accessible by said third party.